Anselmo Mendes, Monção e Melgaço (Vinho Verde, Portugal) 2019

 Monção e Melgaço, one of the nine official sub-regions of Vinho Verde, lies on the southern border of Galicia, the Spanish province that occupies the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula.  The Alvarinho grape reigns here.  Mendes is a new wave producer aiming to show what can be done with this grape in this sub-region, announcing his wines with a bottle engraved with the name of sub-region, the grape, as well as his name.  This Contacto is a richer and more muscular expression of Alvarinho, yet still retains its wonderful cutting edginess.  Zesty lime accents, which imbue the wine with great energy, are still apparent.  It’s a great choice the next time you are grilling fish.