Luis Pato Maria Gomes Vinho Espumante | NV

Luis Pato is the godfather of Barraida wines, specifically the Baga grape which had a reputation for being unforgiving and as Jamie Goode states, "somewhat joyless." Trained as a chemical engineer, he took over his parents' winery in the 1980s. With his newfound "precision harvesting," use of destemmed fruit, and marriage of French and Portuguese oak, Pato produced wines of intrigue and appeal; he gained the attention of critics and gave Barraida its wine heart & soul. Today his daughter, Filipa, also makes impressive wines under her own label. 

I love sparkling wines that capture the personality of their variety, especially those which implement the Champagne method, like this one. Made from 95% Maria Gomes, also known as Fernão Pires, with 5% Sercialinho, you'll be surprised that there's hardly any dosage. Fermented in steel and aged on its lees in the bottle, the wine speaks with sourdough biscuit, lemon rind, fennel, green apple, and evergreen. It's just enough exotic and a little flirtatious but stays within the boundaries of elegance. And it's not trying to be Champagne. Why would it? It's Portuguese, it's Maria Gomes, and she's foolproof delicious. ~Allegra A