2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho Moncao E Melgaco Portugal 750 ml

It might have been our serendipitous find of the summer, but the 92-point 2019 Quinta De Soalheiro Alvarinho Monção & Melgaço is no fluke: The crisp and clean anytime wine comes from a Wine Advocate darling, five-time Wine & Spirits Top 100 winery, and one of the most esteemed growers in the country—it’s a “super value” that no white wine lover can afford to miss. 

With ethereal aromas of jasmine, wet stone, and citrus zest, and a palate packed with tarragon- and sage-streaked nectarine and white peach, this zesty, 92-point palate-cleansing wonder is a no-brainer for fans of Spanish Albariño, Sancerre, or any aromatic, dry white. Just $21 per bottle.

One sip of this mouthwatering white whisked us right back to where we discovered it. 

Stopping for lunch at an open-front gastrobar called Fronteira in the Portuguese riverside town of Valença, we took shelter from the sun by cozying up to the dim bar, hewn out of old Port cases and tucked under a low ceiling. As we looked over the chalkboard menu, the bartender greeted us and, in true Iberian style, poured himself a few fingers of the Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho. 

If it was a sales technique, it worked: The instant the frigid white wine frosted the glass, our minds were made up. “I’ll take one of those,” Robert said, flipping a finger in the direction of the barkeep’s libation. Vanessa followed suit. And when he saw Joe nodding as well, the bartender smiled, grabbed a fresh bottle from the fridge beneath the bar, popped it, and poured it into three short goblets.

The first sip was as life-giving as a drink from the Fountain of Youth, and made our mouths water at the thought of Fronteira’s menu. And before the bottle was done, we were refueling on shrimp, seared Padron peppers, and even pig’s ear carpaccio—and swearing we’d bring this bottle to Wine Access. 

Easier said than done. By the time we’d reached home, all the ‘18 was spoken for. No surprise since Quinta de Soalheiro is one of the shining exemplars of Portuguese Alvarinho, planted by a pioneer and having been named one of Wine & Spirits magazine’s Top 100 wineries a stunning five years in a row. We made a note to check back for the ‘19s.

Quinta De Soalheiro is in Melgaço, the northernmost region of Portugal that sits just south of Spain’s Alvarinho (or Albariño) hotbed of Galicia. The winery enjoys the ample rainfall, days filled with sunshine, and chilly nights that make this part of the world perfect for the grape, which ripens beautifully but maintains its hallmark fresh acidity and superb floral quality. That’s what Soalheiro founder João António Cerdeira could see when he planted the first Alvarinho vines in the area in 1974—and this house is now widely regarded as the most serious grower in Portugal.

A 92-point $20 stunner from one of the country’s most revered producers. This is your passport to exquisite Portuguese refreshment, on the porch or at the dinner table. Stamp it!