Description

Un blanc frais et exubérant issu de la sous-région de Lima, dans l’Alto Minho portugais. Ses sols granitiques profonds et pauvres en matière organique nous offrent ce vin cristallin à la salinité bien marquée grâce à l’influence de l’Atlantique sur le vignoble. Le Loureiro, que l’on retrouve aussi en Galice, est le grand protagoniste de ce Muros Antigos.

Fiche technique

Le domaine
Anselmo Mendes
Type de vin
Blanc
Millésime
2019
Alcool
12.0% vol.
Cépage
100% Loureiro
Origine
Vinho Verde

Dégustation

Visual
Couleur vert citron vert pâle.
Nez
Arômes frais de poire et de pomme suivis de notes florales de fleur d’oranger et d’anis, ainsi que d’herbes aromatiques.
Bouche
Attaque fraîche, franche et directe, avec une acidité éclatante. Finale longue au caractère minéral.
Température de service
Entre 7 et 10 ºC.
Garde
Optimal jusqu’en 2026 s’il est conservé dans de bonnes conditions.

Vignoble et élaboration

Description
Vignobles plantés sur des coteaux orientés sud sur les rives de la Lima.
Année de plantation
7 ans.
Sol
Granitique, profond, pauvre en matière organique.
Climat
Influence de l’Atlantique.
Vendanges
Vendange manuelle en petites caisses qui sont transportées au domaine pour être réfrigérées avant de commencer le processus d’élaboration.
Vinification
Pressurage et égrappage. Clarification à froid entre 48 et 72 heures. Longue fermentation à basse température entre 14 et 18 ºC.
Elevage
Élevage de 4 mois minium sur ses lies avec bâtonnages

L'avis des experts

The Wine Advocate:

The 2019 Loureiro Muros Antigos Escolha, in bottle about two months when tasted, comes in with 1.5 grams of residual sugar, 6.7 grams of total acidity and 12% alcohol. Continuing a trend, this seems just a bit fresher and crisper than last year's version. The grapes are all sourced from the Lima Valley, the area most famed for Loureiro. If, by the way, you're confused by the many labels, this 2019 is similar to but not the same as the Pássaros Loureiro, a label for the USA. Tiago Mendes said: "Regarding the difference between the Pássaros/Muros Antigos Loureiro, we have 70 hectares of vineyards of Loureiro in the Lima Valley distributed by five estates on the left and right banks. There are no differences in the vinification process between these two wines, the only difference is the origin of the grapes—Pássaros is sourced from the estates located on the right bank of the river, with lower altitude and outcrops of schist, while the Muros Antigos is sourced from the estates located on the left bank of the river, with higher altitude and granitic soils with sandy texture." They are in some ways very close, but this seems just a little fresher and more expressive. It is not as brooding, but perhaps it is a little less concentrated perceptibly, especially on opening. At least from their respective bottles, I had a preference for this somewhat more transparent wine. These are all relative issues, to be sure—this is by no means the most expressive Loureiro either, and it also has plenty of concentration. The price is about the same. Go with what you can find. They are both nice values, but this once again moves me to lean up a bit, while its sibling does not. This seems to have a little more upside potential as well. I hate to just keep repeating myself in scoring, but Anselmo is pretty consistent with this bottling. A day later, this was much nicer, more persistent and lingering. It fleshed out a bit as well. (Frankly, at that point, it was more like the Pássaros.) It will hold for a decade or so from the vintage date, maybe more. This might actually have some ability to develop as well. We'll see, but let's not get too carried away in the wine's youth.