Alvarinho Contacto 2022

The 2022 Alvarinho Contacto comes in at 12.7% alcohol. It is probably just the method of vinification, but this seems a little deeper and a little livelier than the Muros Antigos in this report. The finish here seems a little longer and the wine seems a little tighter, even though this is also refined and polished. There is a certain stylistic similarity in making approachable and gentle Alvarinho this year. This Alvarinho should hold well, but it does need some time to become a little more expressive of the grape. There, the Muros Antigos in its youth is the slight winner. This should improve, though. It should hold for at least the rest of the decade, maybe more, so there is no rush if you give it until this fall or even next spring rather than this summer. It is gentle enough right now that it will be a pleasure to drink this summer too. It seems a step short of exceptional this year.

Slightly more stony and spicy than the Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2022, less herbal and less citrus-dominated. Seems to have more weight on the palate even if the alcohol is still only 12.5% and the texture barely shows the time on the skins, ie not tannic as you might expect from the name, but still firmly textured. But the wine is a touch more savoury and complex, less immediately fruity. Bone dry and intense. Good length, too. Really moreish but I think it is misleading to have a wine called Contacto when the skin contact is so brief and not that marked in it effect.

Deep, rich aroma with hints of green pineapple, sweet orange and tangerine peel. Well-structured in the mouth, smooth and enveloping, with acidity in perfect harmony with the body and fruit. Broad, tasty, with a long finish and excellent citrus notes.

Skin contact has given this rich wine its density. It is a full wine, hinting at spice and minerality. The wine's ripeness shows some aging potential. Drink this great wine from 2024.