Anselmo Mendes Expressões Alvarinho 2021

Anselmo Mendes Expressões Alvarinho 2021 is an outstanding white from the Monção e Melgaço sub-region of the Vinho Verde Demarcated Region. Made by renowned winemaker Anselmo Mendes — widely regarded as the "master of Alvarinho" — this single-varietal wine is one of the deepest and most structured interpretations of the grape.

The Wine Advocate
RP 94

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2021 Expressões is an Alvarinho from Quinta da Torre, a blend of the eight different soils — the eight textures they identified on the property — selected directly in the vineyard (they don't use a sorting table). The wine aims to express the place rather than a specific plot or soil type. It fermented in used 400-litre barrels, where it also aged for nine months on its full lees, and was kept in bottle for at least 18 months before release.

It has the volume of the alluvial soils and the freshness of the year, with developed aromas and great acidity, 12.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.32 and 6.5 grams of sugar. It is balanced, perfect to drink now but also with potential to age in bottle. 6,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in June 2022.

I spent a fantastic hour and a half with Anselmo Mendes, between Porto and his Quinta da Torre in Melgaço, and learned an unbelievable amount about Vinho Verde, Alvarinho and Loureiro.

In 2023 the harvest took place at the end of August, but in 2024 they started picking Alvarinho 15 days later, from mid-September — which made a big difference, allowing slower ripening in 2024. The difference came from the gap between day and night temperatures in September, which lengthened the cycle and gave greater development of aromas and flavours in the grapes.

Published: 27 March 2025