I had the chance to taste Barberani’s wines, a family run winery that has influenced the way of making wine in the centre of Italy for over fifty years, during Vinitaly 2023.
Barberani’s wine production has always been characterised by innovation, with the aim of making wines of the highest quality. Furthermore, their desire to preserve the balance of the vineyard ecosystem and have the greatest respect for nature, have allowed them to become a sponsor of organic viticulture and in the vineyard only natural products, without any use of chemicals, are used.
The vineyard stretches for 55 hectares on the hills that face Lake Corbara, between Todi and Orvieto; they are characterised by sedimentary stones with clay and limestone. In autumn, the lake with its humidity contributes to the morning mist, that combined with long, warm, and windy afternoons, creates the ideal conditions for the “Noble Rot” to develop on already ripened grapes. The Orvieto area is one of the rare areas where this style of wine is produced in Italy, and the Orvieto D.O.C. appellation is the only one that allows the term “Muffa Nobile” between the styles allowed by the regulation.
The grapes are harvested by hand, paying maximum attention to fruit selection, with the aim of getting the grapes with the ideal characteristics for the style of wine that will be made.
The tasting had a focus on three wines that were Orvieto D.O.C. Classico Superiore; three completely different styles that showed the enormous potential of the Grechetto grape combined with Trebbiano Toscano (a.k.a. Procarico). The three wines were all Organic and Vegan certificated.
Here is a summary of the characteristics of the grapes used for making the wines tasted:
Grechetto: this is a white grape variety with thick skins and it is resistant to fungal disease which makes it suitable for late harvesting. The wines have a typically low to medium aroma intensity of lemon and white flowers, and a high acidity and medium body.
Trebbiano Toscano: this is a white grape variety that is vigorous and productive with good resistance to diseases. It requires sunny and warm aspects for optimal ripeness while retaining high acidity. The wines have low intensity neutral aromas.
Castagnolo – Orvieto D.O.C. Classico Superiore – 2022
Grechetto 70%, Trebbiano Toscano 30%
The grapes come from vineyards (5 hectares) with a south-west aspect at 200-300 metres of altitude. The vines are on average 30 years old and are Double Guyot trained, with yields of 49 hl/ha. Harvesting takes place in August-September. The must is fermented for 20 days at 15-20°C in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with wild yeast.
- Look: medium lemon.
- Smell: medium aroma intensity of flower (jasmine, acacia, gooseberry), fruit (lemon, lime tangerine).
- Taste: dry medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium flavour intensity, medium finish.
- Pairing: farfalle with zucchini’s carbonara sauce.
Luigi e Giovanna – Orvieto D.O.C. Classico Superiore – 2020
Grechetto 95%, Trebbiano Toscano 5%
The grapes come from vineyards (2.5 hectares) with a south-west aspect at 200-300 metres of altitude. The vines are on average 30 years old and are Double Guyot trained, with yields of 42 hl/ha. Harvesting takes place in September-October to allow the picking of a number of berries affected by “Noble Rot” (about 5%). The must is fermented for 20 days at 15-20°C in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with wild yeast.
- Look: medium lemon with golden reflections.
- Smell: medium (+) aroma intensity of flower (jasmine, linden, gooseberry), fruit (lemon, lime, banana, apple, melon), walnut and flint.
- Taste: dry medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium (+) flavour intensity, long finish.
- Pairing: shellfish with steamed vegetables and citrus mayonnaise.
Calcaia – Orvieto D.O.C. Classico Superiore – Muffa Nobile – 2019
Grechetto 80%, Trebbiano Toscano 20%
The grapes come from vineyards (6 hectares) with a south-west aspect at 200-300 metres of altitude. The vines are on average 30 years old and are Double Guyot trained, with yields of 21 hl/ha. Harvesting takes in at least 5-6 passes between October and December to pick only the berries affected by “Noble Rot”. The must is fermented for 20 days at 15-20°C in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with wild yeast.
- Look: medium gold.
- Smell: pronounced aroma intensity of flower (jasmine, linden, gooseberry), fruit (lime, lemon peel, orange peel), honey, saffron.
- Taste: sweet, high acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, pronounced flavour intensity, long finish.
- Pairing: blue goat’s cheese, walnut and pear canapés.
Produttore: Barberani