About this wine
Contacto takes its name from the brief skin contact Anselmo Mendes applies during vinification — enough to build aromatic depth and a touch of texture without affecting the wine's pale colour. Sourced from deep, pebbly, granitic soils in Monção e Melgaço, it is aged around three months on lees with periodic bâtonnage, yielding ripe peach and pear fruit, floral lift, firm acidity and a distinct saline finish.
Crisp but with a bit more texture than a typical Vinho Verde — a great next step for those who already enjoy Alvarinho.
Sommelier's Note
"Named for a technique, defined by precision — Contacto shows how a few hours of skin contact can add texture to Alvarinho without ever blurring its clarity."
Food Pairings
Excellent with grilled seafood, oysters, sushi and light poultry; its acidity and minerality also pair well with creamy goat cheeses.
When to drink it
Summer terrace dining, seafood dinners, aperitif with friends.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Alvarinho
- Style
- White
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
- Price Range
- ¥4,000-6,000
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Alvarinho from deep pebble, granitic soils in Monção e Melgaço, hand-harvested. Brief skin maceration before fermentation in stainless steel, followed by roughly 3 months on fine lees with periodic bâtonnage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Contacto Alvarinho taste like?
- Vibrant lemon, peach and wet stone with a distinct salty finish, plus a touch more texture than an unoaked Alvarinho.
- Why is it called Contacto?
- It refers to the brief skin contact used during vinification, which adds aromatic depth and texture without affecting the wine's colour.
- What food pairs best with it?
- Fresh seafood, especially raw fish, grilled octopus, and tempura.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
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ムロス・アンティゴス アルバリーニョ
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ムロス・デ・メルガッソ
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クルティメンタ アルバリーニョ
Curtimenta Alvarinho
WhiteAlvarinho
Curtimenta — Portuguese for 'skin contact' — is Anselmo Mendes' orange-wine-style Alvarinho, sitting between a classic white and a true orange wine. Made from vines over 14 years old in Monção e Melgaço, the must macerates on skins for the first 24-48 hours of fermentation before the skins are removed; the wine then finishes fermentation and ages roughly nine months in used 400-litre French oak barrels with bâtonnage, plus about 12 months in bottle. The result is more phenolic and tannic than his other bottlings, with dried apricot, honey, toasted hazelnut and a dry, chalky finish.
パッサロス アルバリーニョ・トラジャドゥラ エスコーリャ
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WhiteAlvarinho · Trajadura
Pássaros Alvarinho-Trajadura Escolha blends fruit from the Minho and Lima river valleys, pairing Alvarinho's aromatic intensity and structure with the softer, rounder character of Trajadura. Fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperature to preserve fruit purity, it is a crisp, fruit-forward Vinho Verde with green fruit, citrus and floral notes — an approachable expression that shows Anselmo Mendes' range beyond pure Alvarinho.