Nortico 2023 Alvarinho, Vinho Regional Minho

Terroir Notes: Ask anyone for the best Alvarinho in Portugal, and people will point to the extreme north to the subregion of Monção and Melgaço, right on the border with Spain. It is here on the south bank of the Minho River that farming is as it was centuries ago, with the grapes planted on granite pergolas in plots so small they are called "jardins" or "gardens" in Portuguese. Nortico is produced from these tiny vineyard plots in Monção and Melgaço. Vines were planted between 1910 and 2005.

Winemaking Notes: Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is racked, primary filtered and cold stabilized. It spends four months in stainless steel before filtration and bottling in February. Unlike other Alvarinhos from the area, Nortico has no added CO2, making for a richer, fuller, well-balanced wine.

Tasting Notes: Nortico Alvarinho is a superb example of the grape's hallmark traits: fresh citrus, peach and tropical fruit aromas paired with clean, juicy fruit and vibrant minerality. This wine is young and fresh with the characteristic bright acidity and aromas of peach and grapefruit. Nortico is lovely on its own or have it simply with corn bread and butter like country folks do in Portugal. This is also a terrific seafood wine, particularly with salty, fattier dishes like fish tacos or broiled oysters.