Anselmo Mendes Vinho Verde Muros Antigos Loureiro 2024 750ml

Anselmo thinks Loureiro is capable of the best and the worst, but you have to control yields. The bunches are large, so if you don’t control yields, you get a neutral acid liquid without interest. The 2024 Muros Antigos Loureiro comes from the vines he planted in the Ponte de Lima zone, from one to 25 kilometers from the sea, where he produces more grapes than he uses for his wines (he sells grapes); he makes a selection for his wines. This has the same vinification as the other Muros Antigos range, in stainless steel and a few months with fine lees. This is more austere, has lower alcohol (12%) and more freshness (pH 3.11 and six grams of acidity). It’s also lighter and has less dry extract than the Alvarinho (18 grams versus 22), and the mouthfeel is sharper. It’s young, clean, precise and serious, what a Loureiro should be. But he also excluded the more aromatic clones (amoscatelado, terpenic) of Loureiro to plant his vineyards; he also discarded the more productive ones. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025. It’s approachable but should also develop.