2022 Alvarinho Soalheiro

The 2022 Alvarinho, the so-called unoaked "classico" as it is colloquially known, is dry (3.3 grams of residual sugar and 6.7 of total acidity) and comes in at 12.7% alcohol. Round and expressive, this is a fruity Alvarinho that is easy to drink and tastes great. Admittedly, recent performances lead me to wonder if there is a trend here: this is a fruitier Alvarinho these days. This is not the first time over the last few vintages that I've thought that, but there seems to be a certain emphasis of late on an easier-going style. That Soalheiro "green" seems harder to find these days (in looking back, my notes last reference it in the 2017 vintage), but I'd still note that there is good acidity underneath. As this airs and warms, though, it is all about the fruit and it seems rather precocious. These tend to hold pretty well, at least in the past. We'll see if this year does as well (I'm being very conservative). It is entirely possible its balance will look different in 2024-2025, but you can certainly dive in now and be happy. It is bright, fresh and tasty, hard to resist. It's a people-pleaser in style.