Our Wine of the Year: An Interview with Claudia Cigliuti

Owner and Winemaker Renato Cigliuti

Yesterday, I announced the 2005 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella as the 2010 Wellesley Wine Press wine of the year.  In prior years I'd named domestic Pinot Noirs as my wine of the year so it wasn't too difficult to track down winery representatives to answer a few questions.  However, this year's winner comes from the Piedmont region in Italy.  Luckily it wasn't difficult to reach Renato Cigliuti's daughter Claudia for a response to these questions:

Q: I've heard there are "traditionalist" and "modernist" style producers in Barbaresco.  Does that terminology exist in Italy?  If so, which camp does Cigliuti fall within?  If not, could you describe your winemaking style?

Cigliuti: The "modernist" and "traditionalist" style are not very popular any more in Italy, like in the past...in the 90's. In our opinion the most important thing to make a great wine is to have the best quality grapes and a good balance in oak.

Q: I've enjoyed both your Vigne Erte and Serraboella Barbaresco wines.  They're both such powerful and pure expressions of Barbaresco.  Could you describe the differences in site and winemaking style between these two wines?

Cigliuti: The main difference between Barbaresco Vigne Erte and Serraboella is due to the age of the vines.  In the Vigne Erte the vines are about 10 years old while in Serraboella the age of the vines is from 25 to 55 years old.  The old vines give more complexity, intensity, structure and length to the wine but both of them reflect very well the character of the terrain where they come from.

In fact Vigne Erte is located on the cru of Bricco di Neive (350 meters above sea level) and faces Southwest with sandy and calcareous soil. Serraboella is located on the cru of Serraboella (350 meters above sea level) faces Southwest with chalky soil.

The winemaking style between Vigne Erte and Serraboella is almost the same, very balanced in oak.  They are aged for about 25 months in 2000 Lt Slavonian oak casks, only a small percentage of Serraboella is also aged in French oak barriques and tonneaux.

Q: What would you say is the best time of year for an American to visit Piedmont wineries?

Cigliuti: In our opinion the best period to visit Piedmont wineries is beginning of September because at that time it is possible to understand and evaluate the quality of the wines from the grapes left in the vineyards. It is very important to see the way of managing the vineyards and the yields we leave to have a good quality wine. Also October is interesting because the vineyards are very colourfull and you can also smell the parfums of the fermentation in the cellar.

Q: Do you offer winery visits and tastings with an appointment scheduled via E-mail?  If so, what should we expect on a visit to Cigliuti?

Cigliuti: We accept visits by appointment (because only the family is involved in all kind of  works of the estate) and it's always a pleasure to receive visitors and show our philosophy of making wines. They should expect a simple visit to a very small estate (7 Hectares) where the family will receive them and show all the process of making wine starting from the vineyards to enjoying a glass of wine together. Cheers!

My thanks to Claudia Cigliuti for her kind and thoughtful response to my questions, and congratulations to Cigliuti on their outstanding wines.

I hope you enjoyed reading my top 25 list as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Click here to download the entire WWP Top 25 Wines of 2010 in pdf.

Here's to discovering more great wines in 2011!

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My Most Exciting Wine of 2010: The 2005 Cigliuti Serraboella Barbaresco

I'm pleased to announce the Wellesley Wine Press 2010 Wine of the Year - the 2005 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella.  This is the first time an old world wine has been my "wow" wine of the year, and reflects how much I've been impressed with wines made from Nebbiolo - especially Barbaresco.

I first discovered the wines of Cigliuti at a tasting at The Wine Bottega (review) in late 2009.  Their wines sent me off on a Nebbiolo kick that continues to this day (more on that here).  There are a lot of fine producers of Barbaresco but I haven't found another for under $50 that deliver the intensity, flavor and all around excitement I've found in Cigliuti's Barbareschi.

In some ways Barbaresco is a mainstream wine, but in others it's still a niche category.  Most retail stores don't carry more than a few bottlings (try Vintages in Concord and Belmont, MA for a truly amazing assortment of Piedmont reds) and that's a shame because I've found it to be an incredible passageway into the wine of Italy which I often find austere and thin.  Most Barbareschi are thin visually but the better ones are powerful aromatically and on the palate.

Cigliuti produces Barbaresco from two different vineyards.  The Vigne Erte retails for $60 and the Serraboella for $75.  When the 2004 was beginning to evaporate from the market I was concerned the 2005 would be a let-down.  Thankfully the 2005 is just as good if not better than the 2004.  Only time will tell - we're admittedly drinking these wines in their youth.

Here are my notes:

2005 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella
$75 Release Price
14.5% Alcohol
830 Cases Made

This is a gorgeous wine.

On the nose I get rich ripe raspberries, menthol, rose petals, and flinty Certs retsin action. On the palate some earth comes forward. Mushrooms. Chalky tannins.

Still shows some tannic bite even after a quadruple decant. Will benefit from time, but I didn't regret opening it now. Could be my wine of the year. The kind of wine you want to seek out and stock your cellar with. Can't recommend a wine any more enthusiastically than this one. Truly special.

96/100 WWP: Classic

Purchased from: Wine Library
Find this wine available for sale on: Wine-Searcher
CellarTracker: Currently a 95 Point Average

Further Reading:

• 2008 WWP Wine of the Year
• 2009 WWP Wine of the Year
• An interview with Claudia Cigliuti

Click here to download the Wellesley Wine Press Top 25 of 2010 in pdf.

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#3-#2: My 25 Most Exciting Wines of 2010

#3 2004 Cigliuti Barbaresco Vigne Erte

I first tasted this wine in 2009 which gave way to this controversial post on Corkd about supporting local retailers versus buying online.  I shared this wine with guests on the first day of 2010 and it had me thinking I may have tasted the best wine I'd try all year.  It sure came close.

My Notes: A stunningly good Italian red wine. Medium-dark ruby color. Candy-like fruit on the nose- reminded me of Luden's Wild Cherry Cough Drops in a good way. Gets serious on the palate. Rustic but complex and balanced. Medium-high acidity makes it food-friendly but absolutely delicious and enjoyable on its own. Appreciated by everyone who tasted it. Highly recommended.

$60 release price, 91 WS, 95 points for me.  A very memorable wine.  Loved it. 

#2 2008 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Las Alturas

I'd seen the name "Belle Glos" around for a few years but didn't know what it was about.  This wine did exactly what I hope a step up in price does from their entry-level bottling, delivering depth of flavor and site-specific nuances.  Their $25 Meiomi (MAY-oh-mee) bottling landed at #12 on my list and their vineyard-designated wines carry a release price of $44.  It may not be quite worth roughly 2x in my book -but- value hounds know you can always find a wine for less if you look around.

The first one is always free as they say.  I got a sample of this wine for an online Pinot Noir tasting.  Then I purchased a mixed case of their three single-vineyard designated wines it at a ridiculously low price from JJ Buckley.  The case has dwindled quickly.  The wine strikes the perfect balance between deliciousness and quality.  This wine also wound up at #2 on Drink Nectar's Top 10 of 2010 list.  Further reading on why this wine fared so well against #16 on my 2010 list in this post.

Wine.com: 2008 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Pinot Noir $34.99


Other Posts in This Series:

• Monday: #25-#11
• Tuesday: #10-#4
• Thursday: The WWP Wine of the Year is Revealed!
• Click here to download a pdf of the entire Top 25 

I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.  Happy New Year!

What do you think of these picks?  What were some of your favorite wines of 2010?

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#10-#4: My 25 Most Exciting Wines of 2010

#10 2005 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill

I caught this 96 WS/$125 bottle for $80-some dollars on a Blanchards Black Friday deal back in 2009.  I cracked it open not long ago, and just like every time I've had it at a tasting alongside other outstanding Napa Cabs, it delivered.  94 points for me on this bottle.  Such a consistent wine for Chappellet.  Well done.

#9 2007 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon

For me, this has been the value play of the 2007 vintage and every time I try this I'm reminded why I like it.  It's because the flavor profile so completely aligns with what I'm looking for in a Napa Cab.  It strikes this perfect balance of savory and sweet that I just go nuts for.  Of course everyone's palate is different so your mileage may vary.  That said, I know a lot of people that like this wine.  Available for $30 and under if you're a real value hound.  93 points for me (92 Spectator).  Another wine I don't think I'd be sorry buying a ton of.

#8 2007 Ridge Monte Bello

Professional ratings for this $145 release price wine are interesting.  James Laube from Spectator hasn't rated a Ridge Monte Bello 90 points in a decade - yet this one received 92 points from him.  Robert Parker on the other hand regularly gives 90 points ratings for this wine - including a 97+ rating for the 2005.  Parker only thought the 2007 was a 92 point wine.  I popped a half-bottle purchased from the Bin Ends bargain bin for $40 (what a deal) on the last day of 2010 and I was impressed.  Of the Monte Bello I've tasted in the past, it usually strikes me as Bordeaux-like wine in a similar style as Opus One and Dominus that needs time to show well.  This 2007 definitely will benefit from age but I thought it was radiant and impressive now.

#7 2007 Zero One Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon The Wild Sky

When Spectator dropped a 93 point rating on this $30 946 case production Washington Cab I thought to keep an eye out for it.  A few weeks later Garagiste offered it up at an aggressive price.  I pinged a few friends to see if they wanted to go in on a case and discovered tremendous interest in this wine almost instantly.

The first bottle I had was outstanding: I agreed - 93 points.  The second I'd only rate 86 points.  The CellarTracker median is 91 points.  If not for this second "off" experience this wine very well could have finished in my top 3.  More on this wine here.

#6 2000 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron

Certain wines need age to show their stuff, and Bordeaux is certainly one of those categories.  That's where having friends with deeper cellars and more experience can be hugely beneficial.  I went over to my pal Adam Japko's house to try a bunch of 2000 Bordeaux this past year.  What an enlightening experience.  The wines were all showing well but there were huge stylistic differences.  I thought this Pichon Baron showed new world tendencies while still being true to Bordeaux.  98 points for me.  One of the best wines I've ever tasted.  More on this tasting here on Corkd.

#5 2006/2007 Coho Headwaters 

95 points Wine Spectator for this $40 mostly Cab red Napa blend.  I agreed with WS - 95 points.  There's been some availability of this wine in Massachusetts but as is usually the case it can be had for less in California.  When I see this wine on a shelf for around $33 it's hard to imagine a better Napa red for that price.  A highly recommended QPR-bender.

The only thing more incredible than a 95 point $40 Napa Cab is following it up next year with another 95. 2007 is a generally more well-regarded vintage so if I had to choose which to buy for long-term potential I'd probably go with the 07.  But for me they were both outstanding and very similar.  More here.  Will the 2008 be able to continue the run this wine has been on?

#4 2007 Red Car Heaven & Earth La Bohéme Pinot Noir 

I snagged a couple bottles of this at Lower Falls Wine Co. in 2009.  One of the highest rated wines from the California Pinot Noir vintage Wine Spectator called the best ever.  I tried one in late 2009 and rated it 93 points.  The second bottle I enjoyed in December and gave it 95 points.  2 points might not seem like a huge difference but as we discussed around the WPP QPR Calculator each point north of 90 is exponentially more difficult to attain.  I think this wine is very special and I'm on the hunt for some of the 2009s.  More here.

Others in this series:

• Monday: #25-#11
• Wednesday: #3-#2
• Thursday: The WWP Wine of the Year is Revealed!
• Click here to download a pdf of the entire Top 25

Check back later in the weak when I reveal my most exciting wine of 2010.  I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation in 2011.  Happy New Year!

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#25-#11: My 25 Most Exciting Wines of 2010

Alright everybody, back to work.  You know that feel you've got right now where you feel like you're burned out on opening too many really nice wines the past couple weeks?  Don't worry it'll pass and you'll be back in action in no time sleuthing out next year's tremendous wines.

I set out to capture the 10 most exciting wines I tasted in 2010 and ended up with 25.  I selected these wines with a similar criteria that Wine Spectator uses for their Top 100 list.  It's not a rank ordered list of the best wines I discovered.  Rather, it's a combination of value, availability, and excitement.  Many of the wines were ones where I joined with friends to buy a straight case or more to reduce per-bottle costs. (Interested in a Boston-area wine case club?  Drop me an E-mail and I'll add you to my list and I'll include you in future offers.)  Some others were more one-off discoveries.

More than anything it's a list of wines I'll remember when looking back at 2010.  On with the list...

#25 2007 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot

This wine was a tricky one for me.  From a numbers perspective, 92 WS with a $22 release price for a Washington Merlot was appealing.  CellarTracker median is at 89 right now, and the wine landed at #46 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list.  However, I had a really hard time garnering interest from my case club friends for 12 bottles of this.  I think some had a negative impression of the brand from past experience with their entry-level bottlings.  I thought this was a 90 point wine.

#24 2007 Banshee Cabernet Sauvignon

There's tremendous value to be had in relabeled wines.  This one pushes the envelope in terms of price point - and it delivers.  More on this wine here.  I wasn't nearly as impressed with their 2009 Sonoma County Pinot Noir.

#23 2007 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry

93 WS with a $50 release price is one thing, but the availability of this wine is so widespread it's not hard to find for just over $30.  It's a little rough around the edges at this point but I think it'll settle down nicely and reward short term cellaring.  I agreed with Spectator on this one: 93 points.  How on earth did it not make the Wine Spectator Top 100 list?  More here.

#22 2006 Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon The Ranch 

Ugly label, beautiful wine.  Every time I've tried this wine I've thought it was spot-on Napa Cab but there's something about the package that leaves me disinterested in buying a bunch of it.  I rated the wine 94 points and that may have even been dragged down subconsciously by the label.  I've had a little trouble finding this ~$40 wine in Massachusetts lately.

#21 2008 King Estate Signature Pinot Gris

In 2010 red wine consumption here at the WWP outpaced whites by an 8:1 ratio.  I keep trying to get more into white wine but it only takes 1 lackluster bottle to send me scurrying back to my comfort zone of fruit-forward domestic reds.  This white wine delivers however - try it with chinese food.  91 points for me.  I paid between $11.49 and $15.50 for this wine in 2010.

#20 2009 Annabella Pinot Noir 

After a bit of an off year in 2008, this wine is back on track in 2009 and compares favorably to the excellent 2007.  90 points for me and readily available for less than $15 in MA.  I think this makes for a great choice in an affordable-but-varietally-correct Pinot Noirs around the world tasting.  More on that here.

#19 2009 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

I bought a couple bottles from Wine Nation in Millbury, MA this year (review).  The first was an oxidized Pinot Noir.  The second was this Sauvignon Blanc I opened as a backup.  Wow, did this white wine taste delicious after that flawed red.  I paid $12.94 and rated it 90 points.  For my palate, Honig delivers value at all price points - more on them later in this list.

#18 2006 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Sometimes, I think I look too hard to find wines of great value.  Everyone knows the name Mondavi - and for good reason.  Mondavi still cranks out great wines at a variety of price points.  At the high end their Reserve Cabernets - particularly back vintages available at a discount - can be tremendous values.  This wine was a sample and I compared it to the 1994 and 1999 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernets.  The 2006 was the star of the lineup for me.  I rated it 97 points - one of the best Napa Cabs I've ever had.  $135 release price.

#17 2007 Paul Autard Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Ah - who doesn't love #CdP07?  This was perhaps the most pure case club we've done to date.  Those who joined with me snagged the wine at $25.99 a bottle (off a $43 release price) and the wine has absolutely delivered.  93 WS and I agreed with them.  This wine is a winner.

#16 2008 Elk Cove Pinot Noir Mount Richmond

This was another wine that a number of us bought from The Wine Cellar of Stoneham at a favorable price given its 94 WS rating.  The 2008 vintage of Oregon Pinot Noir is supposed to be fantastic.  My experience so far has been hit or miss.  I know one thing - tasting this alongside a California Pinot Noir of similar stature probably isn't a good idea.  Or maybe it needs some bottle age to shine.  That said - I actually like this wine a lot (91 points) and wish I had the restraint to keep some on hand for years to come.  Relatively speaking it's a great value if you can find it south of $40.  It makes the list here because it's a wine I think I'll remember from 2010.

#15 2005 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select

This is more of a personal sentimental play given that I like Cakebread so much.  I picked it up at the Boston Wine Exchange when they were having a 15% off sale as a way to make amends for their Buy With Me offer that was thwarted by buzz killing Massachusetts laws.  They wanted $100 for it so I grabbed it for $85 and enjoyed it at noon on Thanksgiving.  94 points.  Further reading on what makes Cakebread a special brand.

#14 2007 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Here's an example of why I don't publish my Top Wines of 2010 list until 2011.  Well, I didn't have it written up until 2011, but anyway - I tried this wine for a second time this year on December 23rd and it delivered a powerful combination of brambly fruit and barnyard.  If you have some of this and are thinking of laying it down for a long time I'd encourage you to check at least one bottle out in the near term - I think it's drinking beautifully right now.  93 points for me, 94 points Wine Spectator. #CdP07 baby!

#13 2008 Elk Cove Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

The Mount Richmond mentioned above has a release price of $48 whereas this one is $28.  I think this appellation-designated offering is the value play.  If you stack up some discounts you can find this wine for right around $20.  For my palate this is textbook 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir in an elegant package for a great price.  Bulk buy recommendation.

Wine.com: 2008 Elk Cove Pinot Noir $24.99

#12 2008 Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir

It's easy to find this one for $19.99 and it is absolutely delicious.  I first tried it by the glass at The Capital Grille.  I've had probably 6 bottles of it since and every time I've shared it with someone new the response has been similar - "Wow - this is DELICOUS.  What is it?"  Hard to argue with those results.  A fantastic end of the week wine to open when you just want to enjoy a nice glass of wine without breaking the bank.  Love it.  Haven't tried the 2009 yet though I hear it's coming to market now.  The 2008 is a wine I can see regretting not buying more of no matter how much I might buy.  More here.

#11 2006 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco

Speaking of wines that might be impossible to buy too much of...  Wine-wise 2010 was a breakthrough year for Nebbiolo consumption for me and Barbaresco led the way.  This 92 point Wine Advocate wine can still be had for $29.99 and what's unique about it is that in 2006 the Produttori didn't release single-vineyard wines.  The leap one might make from that is that the quality level of their entry level bottle might be better in 2006.  All of that aside it's a great wine at a fair price and I've been pleased with every bottle I've opened.  Here's a tasting report that includes this wine and other current release wines from Barbaresco.

Coming later this week:

• Tuesday: #10-#4
• Wednesday: #3-#2
• Thursday: The WWP Wine of the Year is Revealed!
• Click here to download a pdf of the entire Top 25

I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.  Happy New Year!

What do you think of these picks?  What were some of your favorite wines of 2010?

Read more...