Pardusco 2022
Region: Vinho Verde
Producer: Anselmo Mendes
We were there when Anselmo launched the first wines with its name on the market. He had already made a name for himself as a consultant in many estates, but in the early 2000s he focused on his home region. Melgaço has always been recognised as one of the best places to produce Alvarinho, but very few quality estates were still active. Anselmo played an important role in the rebirth of the region and is now recognised as one of Portugal's leading white wine producers. The Alvarinho grape variety plays the main role here, but Anselmo also values other local varieties such as Loureiro, Avesso and Vinhão. Its wines are distinguished by their freshness and minerality. The granitic soils, the proximity of the ocean and its location in the north of Portugal play a decisive role.The vines are cultivated only in Monção and Melgaço, and are south and south-west facing. Red wines account for 50% of the wine production in Vinho Verde, but are almost all consumed locally. Pardusco is one of the few to be exported.
The nose is singular, it first expresses itself on acidic red fruits and then tends towards smoky and forest undergrowth notes, but always with a winy character that dominates. The palate is light, full of freshness, greedy and very harmonious.
| Volume | 75.0cl |
| Grape Variety | Alvarelhão, Pedral, Borraçal, Vinhão, Cainho |
| Drinking window | 2024-2028 |
| Alc. | 12.0% |
| Vinification | Total destemming, skin maceration at 16°c for 12 hours then malolactic fermentation. |
| Ripening | Short ageing in old Alvarinho barrels, only to micro-oxygenate the wine. |