Anselmo Mendes, aka ‘Mr Alvarinho’, is one of the greatest proponents of Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. His Muros Antigos range offers a trio of crisp, pure-fruited, flavourful wines that are perfect for summer. Load up – these are ‘underappreciated bargains that we should all be drinking a lot more of,’ writes Emily Percival of JancisRobinson.com.
The Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2022 overdelivers on rich yellow fruit and structure. Whilst similar, the Loureiro 2022 boasts beautiful white citrus and orchard fruit, floral notes, and minerality. The Escholha 2022 is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 40% Avesso and 20% Alvarinho – and it’s smashingly good value at R170. If you're searching for the ultimate seafood partners, look no further.
The Muros Antigos (‘Ancient Walls’) range allows you to explore different terroirs and varieties from a relatively neutral, hands-off winemaking perspective. If Alvarinho is the most crisp and citric, Loureiro is more textural and aromatic. The lesser-known Avesso grape produces wines with a bit more structure, making it a compelling blending partner.
Ever innovative, Anselmo Mendes has been using skin contact, large vessels, spontaneous fermentation, lees ageing and old vines since the 1990s. View all of the wines here, including their incredible single-vineyard cuvées, which capture the terroir diversity of the Monção e Melgaço region.