Anselmo Mendes - Alvarinho "Contacto", 2018
Anselmo Mendes is one of the most well-respected winemakers in Minho – and in Portugal. He has considerable experience in the wine world, having worked as a consultant for a number of prestigious projects. In 1998, Anselmo Mendes started making wine under his own name in Monção, his place of origin.
Here he experiments with the trademark local variety, alvarinho. This “Contacto” Alvarinho is produced leaving the grapes in skin-contact before fermentation. That, along with 4 months of ageing on lees, confers the wine a lovely and rich mouthfeel, magnificently integrating it with fruity and zesty flavours.
Brilliant pale lemon hue in the glass. On the nose, it opens up zesty and fruity, with aromas of juicy citrus, nectarine, lemon blossom and freshly cut grass. There are also hints of seashells and savoury rocks. On the palate, the high acidity makes this wine crisp and lively while its rich and velvety texture reveals the experimental skin-contact Anselmo Mendes uses for his alvarinho. Medium to full in body. The fruity aromas (nectarine, melon, succulent lemon) mirror the nose. A terrific granite minerality emerges in the mid-palate and progresses to a salty finish. A great wine, made even better with clams!