2015 Barberani Grechetto Umbria IGT 750 ml

Modernity Meets Etruscan Wisdom in Umbria

After a short car ride from Florence, we arrived in Orvieto, the ancient Etruscan city crowning a massive volcanic formation in the heart of Umbria. Orvieto, 85 miles north of Rome, is laden with the charm of years past, history beckoning at every turn.

A few minutes outside the city, green sloping hills unfold as far as the eye can see. This is the definition of Bella Italia, and it is here that brothers Niccolò and Bernardo Barberani craft pure, unencumbered expressions of the region’s native grapes. We were greeted by Niccolò Barberani, winemaker at the estate, who walked us through row after row of plush, densely planted vines. As the gentle winds of Lake Corbara cooled us off, the gravelly soil, rich in fossils and shells, crunched beneath our feet.

If you’re not familiar with the Barberanis of Orvieto, let Antonio Galloni’s Vinous introduce you: “More than 50 years of history, roughly 55 hectares of vines, and Umbria’s best white and sweet wines: there, in a nutshell, is a description of the Barberani estate.”

Grechetto is to Umbria what Chardonnay is to Chablis; it’s the most historic and traditional grape varietal of the region, brimming with zippy acidity and tangy, lemon flavors. Both regions have a strong winemaking history, dating back to ancient times when the Romans and Etruscans dominated the land. However, since the Etruscans settled in Orvieto about a century before the Romans first arrived in Eastern France, Grechetto’s roots run even deeper than those of our beloved Chablis.

Much has changed here since the time of the Etruscans, but as Bernardo Barberani noted, “We learned everything from them.” Their way was to build with what nature provided them — as in the case of Orvieto — and to harness nature’s immense beauty and potential rather than seeking to control it. Today, Niccolò and Bernardo have extended this philosophy to its modern-day limit, producing all of their wines organically and biodynamically. The results speak for themselves.

Vinous raved that, “Given the high quality across Barberani’s entire range of wines, with no duds whatsoever, I believe it is Umbria’s best estate.” We wholeheartedly agree. And the Barberani brothers continue to push the envelope: They won a nationwide contest for agricultural entrepreneurs in 2014 and gained an in-depth partnership with researchers from Tuscia University’s Department for Innovation in Biological, Agricultural, Food and Forestry Systems.

Today’s 2015 Barberani Grechetto Umbria IGT was our favorite of all the wines we tasted with Niccolò and it is a prime example of the intersection of ancient history, stunning terroir, and ultra-modernity that Barberani represents. It is culled from marine-limestone soils, which endow the wine with an amazingly clean minerality, and a unique microclimate whose gentle lake winds cool vineyard temperatures, prolonging ripening, and yielding beautifully rich, balanced fruit.

Brilliant straw yellow in the glass, the 2015 Grechetto Umbria IGT shows tantalizing aromas of ripe yellow stone fruit on the nose. The palate is rich, with mouth-coating flavors of sappy yellow fruit. A Chablis-like, saline acidity cuts through the thick juiciness of the fruit, making for an incredibly balanced, mineral-driven wine, finishing with beautiful freshness and length.

Our circle of NYC sommeliers has caught on. Our buddy Michael Madrigale, whom Wine Enthusiast called the #1 Sommelier in America, told us, “Umbria is a treasure trove of value in Italy. The tradition here is ANCIENT but little known to most, and we like it that way.”

But the secret is getting out; you can’t impress a publication like Vinous this much for this long without gaining some notice. Certainly our insider sommeliers have spoken — this Umbrian treasure is not to be missed. A wine of this rarity and richness, both in flavor and history, only comes around every so often. For only $19.99 a bottle, the best price in the country, we wouldn’t wait. 600 bottles won’t last long.