Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Escolha DOC, Vinho Verde, Portugal

安塞爾莫·門德斯古城墻精選白葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：4732

The 2022 Muros Antigos Escolha is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 40% Avesso and 20% Alvarinho, unoaked and coming in at 11.9% alcohol. This is a fresh and lively blend that shows great in its youth. It lacks the prestige of some of the other offerings in this report, but that also means you can get a lot for a little. (It's an even better value in Portugal.) It's perky and relatively expressive, and it has the acidic backbone to allow it to age a reasonable time. I wouldn't hold it too long, though, even with the winery's good reputation for aging, as its exuberance is a major part of its appeal today. This will likely be at its best when very young. It drinks great now.

The 2021 Muros Antigos Escolha is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 40% Avesso and 20% Alvarinho, unoaked and coming in at 12.3% alcohol, plus something less than 1.5 grams of residual sugar and 6.8 grams of total acidity. A lovely blend and another fine value this year, this is bright and fresh but also surprisingly persistent without harshness. It is perfectly balanced. The Loureiro is asserting itself nicely in flavors and aromatics, making this blend extra appealing. It is very expressive, even as only a component in the blend. There is certainly reasonable concentration, but this is less about concentration than the crisp and fruity finish. To be sure, it is not terribly energetic this year, but it is harmonious and impossible to resist. It should hold a reasonable time, perhaps longer than indicated, but there is no reason to wait.

The 2020 Muros Antigos Escolha is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 40% Avesso and 20% Alvarinho, unoaked and coming in at 12% alcohol, plus 1.5 grams of residual sugar and 6.2 grams of total acidity. Solid in the mid-palate and reasonably fresh, this is a Vinho Verde that goes for something more than just zest on the finish. There's ample acidity, but this also excels with concentration, perfect balance and rich texture. It's lovely overall and a bargain. It has a chance of holding pretty well if you choose to do so, but there is no reason to wait. It might be at its best on the younger side, that is, its first few years.

The 2019 Muros Antigos Escolha is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 40% Avesso and 20% Alvarinho, unoaked and notably crisper and lighter than last year's (1.5 grams of residual sugar, 7.2 grams of total acidity) and 12% alcohol. Each of the grapes comes from the subregions most famous for them—Alvarinho from Mon??o e Melga?o, Loureiro from Lima and Avesso from Bai?o. This is where the lineup gets fruity as well as fresh. This is delicious, not merely well constructed. Yet the acidity beautifully lifts the fruit, so it always seems serious. It is long on the finish, a bit tense and chock-full of flavor. At this level in the lineup, I don't always expect brilliance, but this seems pretty fine right now. Perhaps, too, it is just more open that some of the bigger wines. Will it seem as good when the exuberant young fruit calms down? Maybe, maybe not. That said and considered, let's lean up on this given how well it shows now. If it slips a little as time goes on, so be it, but I'd bet it can age well. We'll be a bit conservative there, though, and take the drinking window in stages.