Alvarinho Espumante Bruto Natural

Score

91

"The sparkling 2022 Muros Antigos Alvarinho Bruto Natural was produced with Alvarinho grapes, something Anselmo Mendes was never sure of, but he finally made it 2022. It was bottled in March and disgorged in November 2023. It had a short time of contact with the lees, to lose the fermentative aromas but not to give aromas of autolysis (there's no time!). He thinks the bubbles have more to do with the variety, and Alvarinho produces a lot of bubbles; but you have to be careful not to extract too much (polyphenols), because it will generate larger bubbles. So, to have small bubbles, you should discard the last part of the pressing. And also be careful with elements like bentonite, which is the worst enemy for a sparkling wine, because you remove elements that have to do with the bubbles. The bubbles here are small and give a texture, and there are notes of herbs and dry leaves. It's tasty and dry. 10,000 bottles produced."