In the glass
Aroma: honeyed lemon, yellow peach, vanilla, wet granite
Palate: stone fruit, creamy lees, spiced oak, salted finish
Single-parcel old-vine Alvarinho from Anselmo Mendes, barrel-fermented and aged with batonnage. The estate's cellar wine; built for years in bottle.
What it pairs with
-
Roast turbot with brown butter
Full-bodied barrel-aged Alvarinho stands up to the rich beurre noisette; mineral spine keeps the dish precise. -
Lobster thermidor
Creamy lees and spiced oak partner cream-bound shellfish; high-acid Alvarinho drive cuts the richness. -
Roast guinea fowl with mushroom
Yellow stone fruit and barrel weight match gamebird and earth; salted finish picks up the seasoning. -
Aged hard cheese boards
Honeyed-lemon register and oak spice partner aged Sao Jorge and well-cured presunto.
History
Parcela Unica is the Anselmo Mendes single-parcel old-vine Alvarinho, drawn from a specific Melgaço site with old plantings. Released in limited bottle counts each vintage as the estate's most ambitious Alvarinho.
- 2009 — Parcela Unica launched as the single-parcel old-vine flagship Alvarinho
Facts
- Producer
- Anselmo Mendes Vinhos
- Grapes
- Alvarinho (100%)
- Classification
- DOC Vinho Verde - Monção e Melgaço
- Oak
- Barrel-fermented in new and second-fill French oak; twelve to eighteen months on lees with batonnage
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Price
- EUR 55 to 85 at retail
- Drinking window
- 3-15 from vintage
- First vintage
- 2009
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Anselmo Mendes Parcela Unica
What does Parcela Unica taste like?
Honeyed lemon, yellow peach, vanilla and wet granite on the nose; stone fruit, creamy lees, spiced oak and a salted finish on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long oak-lees close.
When should I drink Parcela Unica?
Drink between 3 and 15 years from vintage. The single-parcel old-vine concentration and barrel ageing reward ten years or more in a cool cellar.
What makes Parcela Unica different?
It comes from a single old-vine Melgaço parcel rather than a multi-vineyard blend, and is barrel-fermented with batonnage for an unusually full-bodied Alvarinho style. The estate's most ambitious bottling.
What food pairs with Parcela Unica?
Roast turbot with brown butter, lobster thermidor, roast guinea fowl with mushroom and aged hard cheese boards. The full body rewards rich, structured dishes.