Anselmi

Roberto Anselmi is the eternal rebel in the Soave region – a man who turned his back on the Soave DOC consortium in 2000 because, among other things, he disliked mass production. For over 40 years, he has been proving in the hills of Monteforte d'Alpone that Garganega is capable of great things. His vineyards on volcanic tuff and limestone between 220 and 350 metres above sea level provide the basis for the San Vincenzo – an "irreverent" and no less exciting cuvée made from 70 per cent Garganega, supplemented by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

We are talking about the summit of the extinct volcano Monte Foscarino, 350 metres above sea level. Up here, where volcanic tuff forms the base and oak forests provide cool night breezes, one of Roberto's most precious treasures has been thriving since 1982. The Capitel Foscarino was already a legend when Roberto was still part of the Soave consortium – today it stands for pure typicality of the vineyard without regulatory DOC compromises. 90 per cent Garganega and ten per cent Chardonnay from horizontally trained vines that are rigorously thinned out in June so that only the most vigorous berries survive.

Only 1.5 kilometres separate the vineyards of Capitel Croce and Foscarino – but geologically they are worlds apart. While Foscarino is rooted in volcanic rock, Croce is enthroned on the pure limestone of the Zoppega hill. "Croce like Calcareo", Roberto likes to say as a mnemonic. Here, in the highest areas of his estate, perhaps his most uncompromising wine has been growing since 1982: 100 per cent Garganega, matured for eight months in old Allier barriques. What makes this wine so exceptional is not just its origin, but Roberto's radical approach: only 45 hectolitres per hectare, late selective harvest with up to twelve passes until only the most perfect berries remain. Fermentation takes place directly in barriques, allowing fruit and wood to merge right from the start.

Roberto Anselmi and red wine? That doesn't really go together. While his colleagues in the Soave region have long since jumped on the lucrative Amarone bandwagon or, like Inama in the Colli Berici, produce exceptional red wines, the white wine purist has basically remained true to his line for decades. With one exception: at the foot of Monte Zoppega, hidden among his beloved Garganega vines, a little secret has been thriving for years: Realda, named after a historic church estate. Only 7,000 bottles of this single red wine in the Anselmi portfolio are produced each year – a little gimmick, as Roberto himself says, but a damn good one, in our opinion. 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in French Troncais barriques, with a further six months of bottle ageing.

When Roberto Anselmi talks about his sweet wines, his eyes light up differently. Here, the rebel is suddenly a traditionalist – because I Capitelli stands for the centuries-old Veneto art of creating golden nectar from dried grapes. But where others at least seek DOC recognition for their Recioto di Soave, Roberto once again breaks all the rules: His Passito is simply a "Vino Bianco" – table wine. The most radical form of protest.