Anselmi

Roberto Anselmi is the eternal rebel of the Soave region – a man who turned his back on the Soave DOC Consortium in 2000 because, amongst other things, he was opposed to 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, situated on volcanic tuff and limestone at altitudes of between 220 and 350 metres, provide the basis for San Vincenzo – an 'irreverent' yet no less exciting cuvée made from 70% Garganega, complemented 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 bedrock and oak forests provide cool night-time breezes, one of Roberto's most precious treasures has been thriving since 1982. The Capitel Foscarino was already legendary whilst Roberto was still tied to the Soave Consortium – today it epitomises pure terroir expression without the regulatory compromises of DOC status. 90% Garganega and 10% Chardonnay from horizontally trained vines, which are rigorously thinned out in June so that only the most vigorous berries survive.

Just 1.5 kilometres separate the vineyards of Capitel Croce and Foscarino – yet geologically, they are worlds apart. Whilst Foscarino is rooted in volcanic rock, Croce sits atop the pure limestone of the Zoppega hill. "Croce like Calcareo," Roberto likes to say as a mnemonic. Here, in the highest-altitude areas of his estate, his perhaps most uncompromising wine has been thriving since 1982: 100% Garganega, aged for eight months in old Allier barriques. What makes this wine so exceptional is not only its provenance, but Roberto's radical approach: just 45 hectolitres per hectare, late selective harvest with up to twelve passes, until only the most perfect berries remain. Fermentation takes place directly in the barrique, allowing the fruit and wood to blend from the very 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 in a different way. Here, the rebel suddenly becomes a traditionalist – for I Capitelli embodies the centuries-old Venetian art of crafting golden nectar from dried grapes. Yet whilst others seek at least DOC status for their Recioto di Soave, Roberto once again breaks all the rules: his Passito is simply a "Vino Bianco" – a table wine. The most radical form of protest.