Born in Monção, Anselmo Mendes followed the centuries-old family tradition of dedicating his life to agriculture and winemaking, a legacy passed down through generations. He considers the Alvarinho grape to be the most elegant Portuguese varietal and therefore focuses entirely on it. In 1998, he created his very first wine, expressing his love for this grape. Anselmo Mendes is undoubtedly considered the master behind some of the most exquisite and renowned wines in the Vinho Verde region. His expertise spans many years, and he embraces innovative techniques and processes to achieve the highest quality.
Anselmo Mendes' philosophy is that each plot, each location, gives the Alvarinho its own distinct character. He demonstrates this beautifully with this wine. It is made exclusively from Alvarinho grapes grown in Monção e Melgaço, but from lower-lying vineyards. These are located closer to the Minho River, where the subsoil is deep and pebbly. This results in a wine with more structure and complexity, which also emphasizes the minerally, somewhat vegetable-like character and the distinctive bitterness of the Alvarinho. This character is accentuated by brief skin contact during fermentation, followed by fermentation at low, and later slightly higher, temperatures ranging between fourteen and twenty-two degrees Celsius. It gains depth through aging on fine lees for at least four months.
