Monção e Melgaço is a subregion of Vinho Verde and home to some of the best white wines in Portugal, notably Alvarinho. Among the biggest champions of this grape and region is the legendary Anselmo Mendes.
Anselmo’s Muros Antigos Escolha 2023 is a classical Portuguese blend of Alvarinho, Loureiro and Avesso. At R195, this bright, floral and superbly charming white is one of the greatest entry-level wines out there!
From the same range, the Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2023 is salty, appley and beguiling with green olive and grapefruit, followed by a creamy, zesty, mouthwatering finish. It screams for ceviche. ‘For those taking their first steps in exploring this historic Portuguese region, Muros Antigos Alvarinho is a very good place to start,’ notes JancisRobinson.com.
Winegrowers like Anselmo have rejuvenated the wines of Vinho Verde. In the vineyards, he promotes biodiversity and tries different trellising and pruning systems. In the cellar, he challenges the norms by making skin-contact Alvarinhos and ageing his wines in larger French oak barrels.
Enter the exquisite Parcela Única 2021 – easily mistaken for a Premier Cru Burgundy in a blind line-up. Precise and mineral with layers of aromatics and flavours, this special wine is smoky and vibrant, offering green apple, pear and a remarkably long finish.
Check out the breadth of Anselmo Mendes’ range here.
Tasting Notes:
Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Escolha 2023
‘A blend of three of the main white varieties of Vinho Verde, Alvarinho, Loureiro and Avesso, the wine has a young, fruity character. It is light and lively, the acidity at the end gives a fine lift.’ – Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2023
‘A pure, briny alvarinho with aromas of crusted salt, green olives, limes and grapefruit. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a sense of texture derived from aging on the lees. Bright and direct, with freshness and a pleasant, enveloping saline note.’ – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 91/100
Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Parcela Unica 2021
‘Layered aromas of clementine, orange peel and candied lemon, camomile and hay. Precise and deliciously saline with a juicy mid-palate of green apple, quince and Asian pear, wet stone and sandalwood in the background, then alluring touches of smoke and vanilla on a long finish. Extraordinary ageing potential. From a single 5ha vineyard (Vinha do Paço) with alluvial, gravelly soils. Fermented and matured for nine months in new 400-litre French oak barrels with batonnage. Flagship single-vineyard Alvarinho, just 8,000 bottles produced.’ – Ines Salpico, Decanter, 96/100
