Anselmo Mendes—Portugal’s “Mr. Alvarinho”—cut his teeth as an agronomist and oenologist in the Minho, obsessing over Monção & Melgaço’s granite-kissed slopes since the late 1990s. His Muros de Melgaço launched Alvarinho as a standalone star with a 3,000-case sellout, proving the grape’s ageworthy spine beyond quaffable Vinho Verde. By 2008 he’d built his family winery, scaling to 60+ hectares of prime Alvarinho while consulting across the region; his oak and lees work revealed citrus-mineral precision that could cellar like white Burgundy. In 2023, Symington Family Estates—Port giants—teamed up with Mendes, snapping Casa de Rodas (historic Monção estate, first to export labeled Alvarinho in the 1920s) to launch Mendes & Symington: terroir-first whites from river-cooled valleys, blending Mendes’ vineyard IQ with Symington’s global reach.

The 2024 Alvarinho Avesso pulls Alvarinho from stony Monção soils along the Minho for salty snap and Avesso from Baião’s Douro-edge for ripe texture—hand-harvested, skin-soaked briefly, then slow-fermented and lees-aged three months for vibrancy with midpalate heft. Pale with green glints, it layers lemon zest and white peach over flinty florals; the palate drives fresh acidity through stone fruit and seashell into a long, mineral hum. This isn’t entry Vinho Verde: structured for 7–10 years, it’s Atlantic white with Douro polish and Monção cut.

Why You'll Love It

• Monção Alvarinho’s linear minerality meets Baião Avesso’s stone-fruit depth—pure varietal synergy without blending gimmicks.

• Lees aging builds creaminess and length that cellars like premium Rías Baixas, far beyond generic Verde.

• Mendes’ site-picking delivers haunting salinity and citrus precision—summer’s perfect evolve-or-drink-now white.
  

How To Serve It:

• Chill to 46–50°F; 15 minutes in glass lets florals bloom.

• Use white Burgundy stems or all purpose white glass to lift aromatics and mineral spine.

• Enjoy with Oysters raw or grilled, ceviche, or light seafood risotto—its acidity cuts richness while fruit bridges herbs and spice.