About this wine
Muros Antigos Alvarinho is a benchmark, unoaked expression of Alvarinho from the Monção e Melgaço sub-region of Vinho Verde, crafted by Anselmo Mendes — widely credited with elevating the grape to international recognition. Fermented slowly at low temperature with indigenous yeasts and rested on lees for around four months, it shows vibrant acidity, citrus and stone-fruit aromatics, and a long, saline finish that reflects the region's granite soils.
A crisp, unoaked, food-friendly Alvarinho — the easiest way to understand why this grape put Vinho Verde on the world wine map.
Sommelier's Note
"The reference-point unoaked Alvarinho — precise, saline, and endlessly food-friendly. This is where any exploration of Anselmo Mendes' range should begin."
Food Pairings
Excellent with grilled seafood, oysters, sushi and sashimi, and light poultry. Its acidity and salinity also make it a natural match for tempura and vegetable-forward dishes.
When to drink it
Everyday seafood dinners, summer aperitifs, casual gatherings with friends.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Alvarinho
- Style
- White
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
- Price Range
- ¥4,000-6,000
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Alvarinho from vineyards in Monção e Melgaço on granite soils. Long, slow fermentation at low temperature with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel; approximately 4 months on fine lees. No oak used.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Muros Antigos Alvarinho taste like?
- Crisp citrus, green apple and white peach with a distinct mineral and saline finish, and no oak influence.
- What food pairs well with it?
- Fresh seafood, sushi, sashimi and tempura are classic matches thanks to its bright acidity and salinity.
- How long can it age?
- It is made for freshness and is best enjoyed within 3 to 5 years of the vintage.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
アンセルモ・メンデス パルセラ・ウニカ・アルヴァリーニョ
Anselmo Mendes Parcela Única Alvarinho
WhiteAlvarinho
Anselmo Mendes Parcela Única is the flagship single-vineyard expression of Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço, sourced from old vines planted on granite soils in the winery's finest parcel. Fermented and aged for 9 months in 400-litre new French oak barrels with regular bâtonnage on the whole lees, then rested a further 12 months in bottle before release. The result is a structured, age-worthy white wine of extraordinary complexity — layered with citrus, stone fruit, wet-stone minerality, toasted hazelnuts and a creamy, seamless texture. Rated 96 by Revista de Vinhos, 94 by Wine Enthusiast and 93 by Robert Parker, it stands as one of Portugal's most decorated white wines.
ムロス・デ・メルガッソ
Muros de Melgaço
WhiteAlvarinho
Muros de Melgaço is Anselmo Mendes' oak-aged Alvarinho, sourced from south-facing granite vineyards in Melgaço. Fermented and aged for around six months in French oak barrels with regular bâtonnage, it layers the variety's naturally vibrant acidity and citrus character with a creamy, silky texture and subtle, well-integrated oak — a structured, age-worthy white with a distinctive bottle shape that has become one of the producer's signatures.
コンタクト アルバリーニョ
Contacto Alvarinho
WhiteAlvarinho
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.
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
Pássaros Alvarinho-Trajadura Escolha
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.