TMI: At altitude but not OTH: TN:2003 Roberto Anselmi Garganega I Capitelli Veneto

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John Trombley
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Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Piqua, Ohio, United States of America - USA

TMI: At altitude but not OTH: TN:2003 Roberto Anselmi Garganega I Capitelli Veneto

Post by John Trombley »

6/16/2017 rated 91 points: 2003 Roberto Anselmi Garganega I Capitelli Veneto (white, dessert); $6 (sic) at JJB. This has been a solidly pleasurable Italian sweetie for many years. Is it over the hill?

The people stuff. With Stephanie and Jackie; starting with Key West lightly boiled shell-at-table size 12 shrimp--a nice trick for simplifying a meal while adding a luxurious touch by making your guests do a little of the prep work at the table. Then Bourgogne Hervé Murat Haut Côtes de Nuits Les Herbues 2010 and my high-octane all Italian ingredient beef penne tomato sauce (San Marzano tomatoes, 'toothpaste' tomato paste and Apulian tomato sauce with leeks, the delicacy of which was overridden by a blast of low-upper grade cherrywood aged antico balsamico, and seasoned with anchovy paste. The a cup of the wine above and a tablespoonful of palo cortado sherry, sea salt, and ground mixed black and pink pepper (quel horreurs--I just realized none of which were Italian!)). Don't try the pasta sauce in place of other condiments you use for shrimp, as there is a subtle flavor conflict. Shrimp actually tasted like shrimp instead of toughened white cardboard; Steph said that this was the best pasta sauce she'd ever eaten (and she practices mindfulness, the cunning woman, so I can't dismiss what she says as a contrived compliment). The Murat was on hand so I used it but could have used something even more rustic than this nearly pink big-shouldered red Burgundy. With a very mild 'factory' chocolate pudding for supplied by a guest for dessert I pulled out this Italian sweetie, that I was worried would have been superannuated. Had it indeed spent too much time lying down in the storage cabinet?

Deep orange-red color; brown overtones. More sheeting than tearing. Lots of baked peaches, apricots, and Grand Mariner, even to the alcoholic nose, dusted with almost scent-free rose petals. Well-integrated with an upfront bitter orange-peel twist, juicy moderating sweetness, and just enough structure to make it currently quite pleasurable. The finish tails off a little bit earlier than formerly, showing that this isn't probably going anywhere, and it's been stored at 53-55F since I bought it from JJB. Light touch of chocolate in the pudding did not faze this wine at all. Drink now or hold short term, drinking by 2023 well-stored in half-bottles. 91 RPp/100.

Summary: Aged persillage-influenced white dessert wine color; sweet/bitter/juicy orange/floral nose with some alcohol. Moderating sweetness and integrated palate sensation leads to a somewhat less exhuberant finish than prior bottles. Still shows plenty of transparency and brightness, but the bones are visible beneath the tertiary-going fruit. A mixed success at table from this variably-useful but sometimes brilliant producer.

Unfortunately had been set up by two or three too many goldkap Auslesen the day before, so elicited a mixed behavioral response from the guests--but the conversation was so fascinating and even moving that the whole meal had become background by then.
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