Besides variables such as the human factor and vinification, there is another important element that makes wine great: the terroir. By terroir the Cigliutis mean not a vast swath of land but a microzone, a small plot, sometimes a mere parcel of land, in which each single vineyard is trained. A cru, an area in which a variety of high-quality grapes are produced on hillsides that are not far one from another. Renato was the first to use the name Serraboella on a label in the 1970s, and for 30 years he was he only producer here to give his Barbaresco the name of the cru. Until just a few years ago, in fact, Serraboella was a synonym of Cigliuti.
The two Cigliuti crus are “Serraboella” (light green in the map above), where Barbaresco, Barbera d’Alba and Dolcetto d’Alba are produced,
and “Bricco di Neive” (brown in the map), where Barbaresco Vie Erte and Langhe Nebbiolo are produced.