Vinho Verde, Portugal
Anselmo Mendes is highly sought after as a winemaking consultant by many of Portugal’s elite wine producers. At his home estate, Mendes takes Vinho Verde to the highest level by focusing on the region’s most characterful varietals as expressed from their most prestigious terroirs. Mendes’s 2018 Loureiro single-varietal Vinho Verde hails from the Lima River Valley where it thrives and reaches its apogee. Casting a brilliant straw-gold color, the wine opens with aromas of pear skin, chamomile, tarragon, and juniper. Juxtaposing brisk acidity with a fleshy texture, the Loureiro layers the palate with pear and lime fruit complicated by hints of quinine, kaffir lime leaf, and fresh ginger. Long, lingering, and seriously refreshing, the Passaros finishes with salty impressions of granitic soil, white grapefruit, and lemongrass. This is a unique and oh-so-satisfying expression of Vinho Verde for a pittance. Fans of Chenin, Riesling, Viognier, Albarino and Arneis should take special note and plan to pick up a case of this dynamite summer quaffer for enjoyment now and over the coming three years with shellfish, crustaceans, delicate fish dishes, and light potato and vegetable tapas.
