Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Loureiro 2022

The 2018 Loureiro Muros Antigos Escolha, in bottle about two months when tasted, comes in with under two grams of residual sugar, 6.2 grams of total acidity and 12% alcohol. Unlike the Pássaros Loureiro, this is clean, bright and fresh, the lively acidity lifting the Loureiro. It is always controlled acidity, though – this is not an acid freak. It also has fine concentration for the grape. Plus, there’s a long, gripping finish that is unusually powerful for this level. If I had a quibble – which may turn into a virtue in time – this is a surprisingly unevolved Loureiro that still needs a little time to show off the personality of the grape. It is not very expressive at the moment. It should be drinking better in late summer. Drink date: 2019-2026. (Mark Squires,Other,May 31, 2019)