2024 Palazzone Terre Vineate Orvieto Classico Superiore 750 ml

Orvieto is serious about white wine.

Part of the broader Umbria region, you’ll find few red grapes here, since the DOC doesn’t include red wines. “A centre of winemaking excellence,” according to Decanter, winemakers here are devoted solely to creating some of Italy’s most alluring and nuanced whites. And for decades, Palazzone has been among its most outstanding producers. 

When we visited the estate—which Vinous once called “the number one small estate of Orvieto”—we tasted through their whole lineup, yet found ourselves returning to the 2024 Terre Vineate. It shows remarkable freshness and purity, with a liveliness on the palate that belies its layers of citrus, minerality, and spice. For anyone who hasn’t tried the vibrant and complex white wines of Orvieto, this is the quintessential introduction. 

Rising from the earth in Western Umbria are the calanchi: dramatic, volcanic formations carved by flowing water into deep valleys and cliffs. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this historic terrain is the birthplace of the Etruscan culture, with 3,000-year-old cellars dug into the hillsides. Although Umbria is landlocked, it still feels the influence of the sea. The river Tiber shuttles the warming influence of the Mediterranean up into the region, balancing the acid-enhancing cool that envelopes vineyards over 1,000 feet above sea level. 

The native Grechetto and Procanico grapes thrive here. Grechetto lends Palazzone’s Terre Vineate zippy acidity and tangy citrus notes, while Procanico (part of the Trebbiano family) contributes floral and mineral character. Aged in stainless steel, the wine maintains a tantalizing freshness and will continue revealing its depth over the next several years.