The sweet floral, minty and spiced notes that are so typical of this site really come to life with a bit of time in the glass. Although it was only bottled recently, the 2016 is quite expressive. Naturally, it will be even moreso in a few years' time.

The Cigliuti family has been farming in Barbaresco’s Neive region for 4 generations. It was given its name, Fratelli Cigliuti, by Renato’s father and uncle, who until 1964 used to sell grapes and bulk wine to the local wineries. This all changed when Renato Cigliuti took over in 1964.

Renato Cigliuti, a local legend in Barbaresco, began working for the family business when he was very young and he decided to bottle his wines under the Cigliuti name. He believed the local Langhe soil was capable of producing high quality, long-lasting wines, so he began to prune his vineyards shortly after taking over. This was a technique practiced by only a handful of producers at the time. His neighbors thought he was mad because those were the postwar years, and throwing away food wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Renato’s forward thinking was rewarded by gaining well deserved recognition amongst his peers and critics.

Over the years Renato didn’t expand his winery a great deal, mainly because he didn’t think his daughters would be interested in working the land, but Claudia and Silvia proved him wrong. The sisters worked in the vineyards during their summer holidays until they decided to come home full time.