Some wines transport you to places you’ve never been. But this wine doesn’t just take you to Portugal’s hidden coast—it makes you want to pack your bags and never leave. Picture this: You’re sitting on a sun-drenched terrace overlooking the Minho River, where ancient granite hills cradle vineyard plots so intimate that locals call them “jardins”—gardens. This isn’t industrial winemaking. This is poetry written in vines, where over 100 tiny plots, some planted in 1910, create a wine that captures the very soul of Portugal’s most secretive wine region.
The label is a tribute to the “azulejos” (hand-painted tiles) found throughout northern Portugal.
The Winery
Monção and Melgaço. Even the names sound like a whispered secret. Tucked away in Portugal’s northernmost corner, protected by a semi-circle of hills that shield these precious vines from Atlantic storms, this is where Alvarinho reaches its absolute peak. While the world obsesses over Vinho Verde, the locals have been quietly crafting something far more extraordinary. The azulejo tiles that grace every building here tell stories of centuries-old craftsmanship—hand-painted masterpieces that reflect the same artisan spirit flowing through every bottle of Nortico. Winemaker Alberto Orte understands this heritage. Working with granite and schist soils that have been perfecting their craft for millennia, he creates wines that don’t just taste like Portugal—they taste like home, even if you’ve never been there.
The Wine
This wine is pure coastal magic. Imagine the moment when ocean mist meets mountain air, when citrus groves kiss salty breezes, when tropical sunshine gets tempered by cool granite. That’s exactly what happens in your glass with every sip of this extraordinary Alvarinho. This is Alvarinho the way it was meant to be: pure, elegant, and absolutely unforgettable.
It tastes like vacation feels. It’s the kind of wine that makes you slow down, take another sip, and suddenly understand why Wine & Sprits called it a “Best Buy.”
Perfect for that golden hour when the sun starts to set and conversations get deeper. Grilled octopus that still tastes like the ocean. Ceviche that makes you close your eyes and smile. Those spontaneous gatherings where simple becomes extraordinary. This is coastal Portugal bottled—the kind of wine that transforms any Tuesday evening into a Portuguese holiday, any backyard dinner into a feast worthy of the Minho River valleys.
Tasting Notes
Sustainably grown vines from 1910-2005 on granite soils. Creamy citrus oil, lime, and yellow apple create the foundation, beautifully spiced and detailed with saline mineral and floral underpinnings that carry through an impressive, lingering finish. This is coastal Portugal in liquid form—bright, sophisticated, and utterly captivating.
Vinos Atlántico (previously CVA) was founded in 2002 with the purpose of uniting the winemaking heritage of Alberto Orte and Patrick Mata’s families. Both of their families have been producing wine, independently, throughout Spain since the late 1800s.
Its fundamental mission is to discover new production areas across Spain and Portugal, unique soils and to recover native varieties, always in search of great vineyard-sites that can produce consistently superior wines compared to neighboring vineyards.
In Portugal, they produce notable, fresh, and mineral-driven wines, including Nortico Alvarinho (Minho) and Aplanta (Alentejo), often featuring vibrant acidity typical of Atlantic-influenced regions
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2020 Nortico Portuguese Alvarinho - $30 = 20.00%
On the nose: Mostly grapefruit and some minerality a little briny as well. Tropical.
On the taste: Nice bright acidity and minerality and an almost chardonnay like buttery note. More of the grapefruit and a little melon (think sprite melon not cantaloupe).
Overall: This is a great sipping wine as we roll into warmer weather. Would also pair nicely with seafood or salads.
Wine & Spirits Review
Best Buy. Sweet pear nectar meets sandy mineral notes in this unctuous alvarinho, a wine to chill for summer picnics on the beach.
WE:
88 points. This rich, full-bodied wine offers ripe apple flavors and hints of white peach. Touches of minerality and salinity give the wine a fine bite that will allow it to age a few months. Drink from 2022. — Roger Voss 12/1/21
Wine Spectator:
88 points. Fresh and bright, with lively lemon peel, thyme and verbena notes laced up with a quinine thread. A very light touch of effervescence on the finish adds to the freshness. Drink now. 15,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported. James Molesworth 12/32/21
A little additional info unless it’s buried in the sales novel above:
This wine is entirely unoaked, with grapes selected at the winery and subjected to a lengthy, cool fermentation. Racking, primary filtration, and cold stabilization. The wine then spends four months in stainless steel tanks, undergoing filtration prior to bottling in February.
@WkdPanda same grape, but treated slightly differently. In my mind, an Alvarinho is sort of like if an Albariño and an unoaked chardonnay had a baby, and I mean that in the best way possible… I’m likely in for at least half a case.
2020 Nortico Alvarinho, Minho, Portugal
2020 Best Buy — Wine & Spirits
The Winery
The Wine
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $300/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 11 - Tuesday, May 12
2020 Nortico Portuguese Alvarinho
6 bottles for $74.99 $12.50/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Don’t need any reviews…sounds delish paired with our local PNW seafood, in for a case…
handsome-fickle-bushbaby
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2020 Nortico Portuguese Alvarinho - $30 = 20.00%
Quite the marketing spiel…
Thank You for the opportunity to be a Lab Rat!
In the glass: Very light straw color.
On the nose: Mostly grapefruit and some minerality a little briny as well. Tropical.
On the taste: Nice bright acidity and minerality and an almost chardonnay like buttery note. More of the grapefruit and a little melon (think sprite melon not cantaloupe).
Overall: This is a great sipping wine as we roll into warmer weather. Would also pair nicely with seafood or salads.
Wine & Spirits Review
Best Buy. Sweet pear nectar meets sandy mineral notes in this unctuous alvarinho, a wine to chill for summer picnics on the beach.
WE:
88 points. This rich, full-bodied wine offers ripe apple flavors and hints of white peach. Touches of minerality and salinity give the wine a fine bite that will allow it to age a few months. Drink from 2022. — Roger Voss 12/1/21
Wine Spectator:
88 points. Fresh and bright, with lively lemon peel, thyme and verbena notes laced up with a quinine thread. A very light touch of effervescence on the finish adds to the freshness. Drink now. 15,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported. James Molesworth 12/32/21
A little additional info unless it’s buried in the sales novel above:
This wine is entirely unoaked, with grapes selected at the winery and subjected to a lengthy, cool fermentation. Racking, primary filtration, and cold stabilization. The wine then spends four months in stainless steel tanks, undergoing filtration prior to bottling in February.
fwiw
@kaolis and it’s unctuous!!!
Alvarinho - This is the Portuguese version of the Albariño grape, I think? As such, this looks very interesting.
@WkdPanda same grape, but treated slightly differently. In my mind, an Alvarinho is sort of like if an Albariño and an unoaked chardonnay had a baby, and I mean that in the best way possible… I’m likely in for at least half a case.
Hmmm, does this wine have a palette thing going on?
(Lime, Yellow Apple, Grapefruit, Pear, Lemon)
@Boatman72 I noticed that, too. Oily, citrusy, acidic, minerality, buttery…quite the combination. Plus I think some mentioned slightly effervescent.