Quinta de Santiago Alvarinho Reserva 2023

Quinta de Santiago Alvarinho Reserva 2023 is an excellent white made in the Monção e Melgaço sub-region (Vinho Verde Demarcated Region) by the prestigious family producer Quinta de Santiago. This Reserva stands out for combining Alvarinho's vibrant freshness with the complexity and structure that come from oak ageing.

The Wine Advocate
RP 90

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2023 Alvarinho Reserva shows aromas of lemon cream, with plenty of spice and toasty notes, hints of orange peel and a touch of honey and beeswax. It had a long, spontaneous fermentation and ageing in barrel and foudre, with malolactic and 11 months of bâtonnage. It's a little too oak-marked and slightly overdone for my taste. It has restrained ripeness, 12.8% alcohol, a pH of 3.18 and 6.4 grams of acidity, with a bitter touch on the finish. The bottles spent two years in the cellar before release. It's ready to drink now. 6,600 bottles were produced. It was bottled in August 2023.

Quinta de Santiago is a family estate in Monção, in the heart of Vinho Verde's Alvarinho region. José and Joana Santiago started the project in 2010 with the support of consultant Nuno Mira do Ó. They have 10 hectares of 25-year-old vines next to the winery, on a family property dating from 1899, planted with Alvarinho, Loureiro and Alvarelhão. Because of the hot, dry climate of recent vintages, they're adopting regenerative viticulture. Production is 66,000 bottles or 50,000 litres.

Published: 2 April 2026