2022 Anselmi "Capitel Croce' Veneto IGT

Roberto Anselmi is a legendary renegade in the Veneto. In the year 2000, frustrated by the lax regulations and mass-produced mediocrity of the Soave DOC, he made the radical decision to declassify all his world-class wines to simple Veneto IGT status. He chose to rely on the undisputed quality of his terroir and his meticulous farming rather than a compromised appellation name. The "Capitel Croce" is his masterpiece—a single-vineyard expression of 100% Garganega grown on ancient, pure volcanic tuff. What sets this wine apart is the winemaking: unlike most Garganega, it is fermented and aged in French oak barrels. Because of the incredible density and acidity derived from the volcanic soil, the wine absorbs the oak seamlessly, resulting in a white wine of profound structure and longevity. It pours a deep, glowing gold. The nose is a complex tapestry of baked apple, chamomile, apricot, and toasted almond, underpinned by a distinct, smoky flintiness. On the palate, it is rich, creamy, and enveloping, yet perfectly balanced by a driving mineral tension. This is a white wine for red wine drinkers, demanding rich dishes like lobster, truffle risotto, or veal scallopini.