Anselmi Capitel Foscarino 2023

Anselmi is one of the great names of Italian wine and for many of us, the leading producer of Soave (once upon a time). But note this – this is not that big average wine we all sloshed when backpacking through Italy as students. This is serious stuff – high quality wines which have helped to resurrect the reputation of the region (yes, you can still find those bog average wines if you are planning on backpacking there any time soon, but they will not have Anselmi on the label). Soave is made with the Garganega variety. All that said, Roberto Anselmi was dissatisfied with the progress being made with Soave by others from the region, so he dumped the name from the label and now works to raise the profile of the larger Veneto region. And he is doing just that. He was the first winemaker in Italy to use French oak for the fermentation and maturation of whites and makes his wines as vineyard offerings. With this wine, you will find that there is a dollop of Chardonnay included. Traditionalists might be horrified, but it does seem that the traditionalists are simply not making wines of this quality, so very few take any notice of them. This is a wine of energy and class. A pineapple yellow hue, the nose gives us spices, lemongrass, a flick of honeycomb and ginger, alongside stone fruits and a touch of nuttiness. Lifted, intriguing throughout, balanced, very long and yet seamless at all times. There is juicy acidity complimented by notes of apricot skins on the finish. For this quality, it is ridiculously cheap. Enjoy over at least the next six years.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic