Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico Orvieto Classico Superiore

Pure class from the green heart of Italy

This is truly a delicious, elegant, and full-bodied wine. Floral, a touch of butter, peach, yellow plum, freshly baked bread, cake, light white pepper, and sufficient minerality. Simply beautiful.
You take a sip of a wine that immediately transports you to the green hills of Umbria, in the heart of Italy. This refined wine, from the famous Orvieto region, combines the elegance of Chardonnay, the freshness of Grechetto, the complexity of Procanico and the aromatic power of Vermentino. This unique interplay of grape varieties results in a balanced and complex wine. The Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico is a perfect choice for those who love full-bodied, fruity wines with a hint of salinity.

Taste and Food Pairings

The Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico opens with aromas of white peach, grapefruit, and delicate flowers. This light, golden-yellow wine offers a full flavor with plenty of fruit and a subtle salinity that makes it refreshing. It is a wine that pairs excellently with various dishes. Think, for example, of a flavorful seafood pasta or a juicy chicken breast. Soft cheeses also come into their own perfectly alongside a glass of this wine. Serve the Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico at a temperature of 10-12 °C to fully enjoy its complexity and freshness.

The Wine House Decugnano dei Barbi and the Production Method

In 1973, Claudio Barbi founded his own winery in Orvieto. Claudio has been looking for a winery where he can specialize in quality wines for some time, when he comes across the abandoned country house 'Decugnano' in Orvieto. The landscape catches his eye because of the beautiful terroir and he decides to buy the estate and rename it Decugnano dei Barbi. The domain used to be owned by the church: wine had been sold there since 1212.

The estate, with vineyards situated at 320 meters above sea level, benefits from a unique soil composed of marl, loam, and fossilized shells. The wine ferments at controlled temperatures between 14 and 16 degrees in stainless steel tanks for 15 to 20 days. Approximately 10% of the Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico ferments in oak barrels, adding a subtle complexity. After fermentation, the wine ages for another six months in stainless steel and then for six months in the bottle. This meticulous production yields a wine that will impress both now and in the future.

Also try the other wines from Decugnano dei Barbi! The what lower priced white is also a very beautiful and high-quality wine! More in the mood for red? Then try the sultry and fruity Villa Barbi Rosso or the complex A.D. 1212

Wine reviewers on the Decugnano dei Barbi Mare Antico Orvieto Classico Superiore

Vinous 93 “Wickedly fresh and wafting up like a cool breeze off an alpine peak, the 2021 Orvieto Classico Superiore Mare Antico mixes crushed rock with raw almonds, hints of sage and ginger. This opens with a lovely inner sweetness contrasted by candied lime and salty minerals. It flows across the palate with ease, long and citrus-tinged. It tapers off structured and crisp, with a green apple crunch and residual acids keeping the mouth watering for more. The complexity here is off the charts, coupled with fantastic balance. The Mare Antico is beautiful today but with a bright future as well.” –

James Suckling on the 2020 vintage, 92 points – “Subtle notes of oyster-shell minerality and nectarines to the spiced lemon and green apples in the background. Round and creamy with a medium to full body on the palate, accentuated by a delicious, saline twist to the citrus and white fruit. Lovely texture.”

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate on the 2017 vintage, 90 points – “The 2017 Orvieto Classico Superiore Mare Antico is a very pretty blend of 55% Grechetto, 20% Vermentino, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Procanico. This hot-vintage wine is pleasantly luminous and bright with simple fruit, citrus and mineral tones that keep the palate refreshed. The wine is made almost exclusively in stainless steel to keep it simple. The wine’s name Mare Antico, or “ancient sea,” pays tribute to the marine fossils and shells found in these Orvieto soils. Some 20,000 bottles were made.”

Wine Enthusiast on the 2016 vintage, 90 points – “Aromas of stone fruit and field flower lift out of the glass. Round and creamy, the fresh palate offers juicy white peach, Rennet apple and lemon zest flavors. A salty mineral note closes the finish.”

Gambero Rosso on the 2019 vintage – 3 glasses –