Anselmo Mendes Curtimenta Alvarinho 2023

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Anselmo Mendes is a renowned Portuguese winemaker who rose to fame thanks to his excellent production of Alvarinho wines. The son of a farming family from Monção, after studying oenology and gaining experience as a consultant in France, Anselmo founded his own company in the late 1990s. Curtimenta is a white wine made with Alvarinho grapes from approximately 15-year-old vines located in the Monção and Melgaço areas. After manual harvesting and fermentation with brief contact with the skins, the finished wine ages for nine months on the lees in 400-liter oak barrels and for another year in the bottle. The result is an elegant wine with excellent aging potential. In the glass, the wine reveals a broad and complex aromatic profile with typical varietal notes of citrus and minerality, followed by hints of dried fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla. On the palate, it is balanced, full-bodied, and lively, with a good structure derived from aging in wood and a pronounced, refreshing acidity. The long finish has a mineral character. It pairs deliciously with local fish and seafood recipes. Try it with stuffed crab and Galician-style octopus.

Price: £23.74 from 8wines UK