Spoiler alert: Thank you for the recommendation Tomás!
2017 Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Parcela Única - Portugal, Minho, Vinho Verde (8/24/2021)
Beautiful wine. This is the most expensive Alvarinho I have purchased so I came in with high expectations. On top of this, I had a concern about the new French oak élevage. It would have been easy for me to find a way to be let down by this wine. This was not to happen. The nose is very floral (peach tree and wild flowers) and then starts to show notes of peaches and wet stones. These aromas appear one after the other in a very particular fashion. No wood on the nose. The palate instantly shows good concentration with a creamier texture than I’ve ever experienced with an Alvarinho. However, the spine of this wine is still acidity. The palate follows the nose with peaches, flowers and a very strong mineral impression (wet stones and something almost flinty). The finish is long and rich keeping on the wet stones theme but adding a touch of spices (hard to pinpoint). It seems that the new French oak has more influence on the texture of this wine than on the flavors and aromas much to my delight. It’s a beautiful wine that I would love to follow through the years because something feels like it is a little restrained still and I think it could develop more complexity. I have only one other bottle left so I will buy some more shortly. Very nice experience. Served with salmon tartare and shrimp “guédilles” (good pairing).
This was followed by a 2020 Pazo de Señoráns Albariño highlighting even more the difference between those two expressions of the grape. Very cool.