White Wine Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2021. Regarded as one of Portugal’s most exciting winemakers, Anselmo Mendes has made a name for himself consulting for many of the country’s top estates. He also makes his own wines in Minho close to the border with Spain. His winery is very much a family-run project, involving his wife, his brother and his son, as well as several employees. Anselmo first started working with the Alvarinho grape, the Portuguese name for Albariño, in 1988 and he now creates a range of styles from crisp, aromatic whites to richer, creamier expressions. Anselmo’s Muros Antigos is crafted with fruit sourced from sunny hillsides in Monção and Melgaço. The soils here are composed of granite which helps to create elegant, aromatic wines with plenty of freshness while the slopes create ripe fruit flavours thanks to the excellent exposure to sunlight during the summer months. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented using wild yeasts in neutral tanks to preserve the natural character of the variety. The wine is then aged on the lees for 4 months to add polish and extra complexity. The result is a crisp, energetic wine with vibrant grapefruit, lemon zest and white blossom notes on the nose. The first sip reveals a crisp acidity, light body and pure, clean finish. Great to drink as an aperitif or with fish, seafood, or sushi.
2021
White Wine Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2021
White Wine Auvigue Macon Fuisse 2021. No need to decant. Known as early as 1629 in Beaujolais and Mâconnais, the Auvigue family produces fantastic wines in the Mâcon-Solutré and Pouilly-Fuissé appellations, according to the traditional methods of Burgundian viticulture. Today, the family business is managed by the brothers Jean-Pierre and Michel Auvigue, third-generation of winemakers, and the grapes come from family estates of 6 hectares, of which 2 hectares are organically grown. Since 1946 the company has been based in a converted mill, the Moulin du Pont, in Charnay-lès-Mâcon. The Chardonnay grapes, grown on marly-calcareous soils, come from the heights of the lovely town of Fuissé. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature to preserve the freshness and fruity notes of the grape variety. The wine is then left to age on the fine lees until bottling. The Auvigue Macon Fuisse is a wine with a bright golden color, rich in mineral aromas and notes of ripe fruit. Aging on the lees adds complexity and roundness to the mouth. It is fresh, smooth, and elegant. Its creamy character makes it ideal for pairing with oysters, shellfish, fish seasoned with white sauces, snails, roasted chicken, or turkey. Serve it chilled.
2021
White Wine Baia’s Wine Otskhanuri Sapere 2021. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Coming from a traditional Georgian family of winemakers, Baia Abuladze, after completing her degree in agronomy, returned to Obcha, in the Imereti wine region, to cultivate the family vineyards and actively promote local wines. In 2015, the newly born Baia’s Wine company bottled its first organic wine, a dry white. The company is now one of the few Imereti organic wine producers and one of the first led by women. Baia’s Wine’s Otskhanuri Sapere wine is produced from the homonymous vine, one of the oldest in Georgia, grown mainly in the Imereti wine region. The grapes are macerated for a month together with their skins and withered stalks. Fermentation is spontaneous with wild yeasts. The wine, whose name is inspired by the village of Otskhana, has an intense ruby color. The nose reveals a fantastic intensity of red and dark fruit (cherry and black plums) with notes of marzipan, cocoa, licorice, and herbs such as nettles and thyme. On the palate, it has a good tannic backbone and excellent acidity. It is soft with a delicious plum aftertaste. It is an elegant wine, capable of aging and improving with time, which goes beautifully with grilled red meat.
2021