Passionada Alvarinho 2021
Classic Movie Pairing
The Rules of the Game (1939).This French satire takes a cynical look at the bourgeois aristocratic lifestyle and how its honorable and refined appearance often belies a crass and cruel nature. Directed by auteur Jean Renoir, the movie takes place at the country estate of Marquis de la Chesnaye (Marcel Dalio), where his wife Christine's (Nora Gregor) attention is drawn to her lover, Andre Juriue (Roland Toutain). Included on many all-time-great lists both for its visual storytelling and sophisticated message, it's the perfect match for this complicated and multi-layered Alvarinho that will, like the film, make a long-lasting impression.
About This Wine
White - Dry 
Alvarinho 
750.00 ml 
Portugal 
12.5 % 
2021 Wine Food Pairings
Shellfish, fish, Cajun spices, rice dishes, salad, chorizo.
Wine Flavor Profile
Passionada is a medium-bodied white wine with fresh lemon, green apple, pear and wet stone aromas. The palate is crisp and citrusy, with delicate apple flavors and a creamy nuance.
When the Portuguese want a refreshing, sophisticated white wine, they turn to Alvarinho (aka Albariño in Spain). And savvy wine fans seek out the premium examples from iconic winemaker Anselmo Mendes (shown below)—like Passionada Alvarinho 2021.
Anselmo might be too humble to brag about his accomplishments, but we’ll do it for him. In 2011, Revista dos Vinhos named him Best Winemaker and Producer. The Wine Advocate is a fan, too, writing, “One of the region’s biggest names, Anselmo provides both well-priced value wines and high-end quality.”
Anselmo crafted Passionada at his beautiful estate, which was rated one of Wine & Spirits’ Top 100 Wineries of 2017, in the Vinho Verde region. Passionada is a step above the light and breezy Vinho Verde that most wine fans know. It’s seriously elegant, with a lovely creamy weight thanks to a few months’ lees aging. And we’re not the only ones who think so…
Gilbert & Gaillard judges awarded it a gold medal and wrote, “Nose of citrus fruits (lemons, red grapefruits) and a touch of mown grass. A remarkably smooth Vinho Verde with delicate acidity and exquisite fruit. A delicious wine to awaken the taste buds then serve with raw fish.”
If you’re a fan of “intellectually interesting and tasty” white wines (that’s The Wine Advocate raving about Anselmo’s wines again), then you simply must try Passionada Alvarinho.
“He’s an icon and a force in his own right, one of Vinho Verde’s greatest producers.”
The Wine Advocate
on Anselmo Mendes
