 
 |  Luis Pato Maria Gomes Vinho Espumante Bruto 2006 People often seem abashed when they admit they haven't heard of a certain grape varietal before. Don't feel bad...we're still learning about grapes we've never heard of on a frequent basis. With over 200 indigenous varietals in Portugal alone, we weren't surprised to learn a new one last week. Meet "Maria Gomes", a varietal not even mentioned in Karen MacNeil's go-to wine reference book, THE WINE BIBLE. And Ms. Gomez just happens to make up the majority of this brut bubbly that has made our week of tasting dozens and dozens of wines very, very, very worth it.
This varietal is more commonly known as Fernao Pires (not that you should know that either), but is called "Maria Gomez" only in the region of Bairrada where we find the Pato Family, one of the most esteemed winemaking families in the region who have had a big role in putting Portugal on the map for products other than Port and Madeira.
In 1999, Luis Pato (pictured above) backed out of the Bairrada DOC to bottle his wines under the Vinho Regional Beiras appellation. When doing this, winemakers usually take a hit as their wines don't bear that easily identifiable appellation on the label which helps shoppers have an idea what they're buying. But it freed them up to experiment in a more liberal winemaking environment, opting not to create new-world style fruit-bombs, but subtle experimentation with local and long-forgotten varietals.
The Maria Gomes Bruto is perfumy, tropical, but dry, with a bit of a spice on the finish. The short way to say that is....it's complex. Like vinho verde? Like gruner veltliner? Then you're gonna love this bottle. Sheesh...I'm starting to sound like this guy.
Past Wines
Chateau Font-Mars Picpoul de Pinet 2007
Last year it was the Gazela Vinho Verde, this year, this little Dinosaur-clad bottle is going to be the hot weather staple. It's dry as a bone with flavors of white peach, pineapple and a flinty, mouth-puckering finish. We featured this wine about a month ago during a Friday tasting but it just doesn't seem fair to not share with the non-Friday crowd. | Kelley Creek Flow Bordeaux Blend 2005
It's BBQ season again and we found the grand champion of BBQ reds. "Grand champion" is not a very exact ranking, so what we mean is if everything in the world had a competition at everything, this bottle would win. Try one and you'll see. | Hocus Pocus Pinot Noir 2006
A remarkable Willamette Valley pinot noir for $22.99 -- it just doesn't happen much anymore. But this might just be the best under $25 pinot we've ever had. Add on the fact that the winemaker behind this bottle is part of the winemaking team for Holus Bolus, Piedrasassi, and Stolpman Vineyards, and his partner in the company is his girlfriend, Amy Christine, Sommelier at A.O.C., Master Sommelier-in-training, and all around cool person, and you've got a good wine, a good team, and a good story. | Bodegas Orcella Orsus Garnacha 2001
This is another one of those wines where our rep poured it at our bar and we all kinda looked at each other wondering how on earth this wine was so cheap. The rep shrugged and just said, "I know.....and we have lots of it." So, just like our previous featured wine (Gustavo Thrace Third Bottle Red) was the best deal in rich red we have had in a long time, if your palette leans towards more elegant reds, this puppy is calling your name. | Gustavo Thrace "The Third Bottle" Red Table Wine
The premise behind this wine is simple... when you're having a nice dinner with friends and family, the third bottle of wine that is inevitably cracked doesn't need to be a pricey one. In fact, your palette is probably worn out at this point so why not crack something good, but a little more affordable? Well, this little discovery is beyond good. In fact, during our Friday tasting last night, this wine sold out faster than any other wine in CoWineCo history. | SOLD OUT * Chateau Caraguilhes Corbieres 2003 - Organic!
We've poured this wine at tastings a few times in the past, but like a middle child, it still demands more attention than it's getting. We've referred to it before as 'the bacon wine' showing rich, meaty flavors balanced with subtle acidity and a great twist of lavender, anise and clove. If you're into lamb and game, there just isn't a better pairing in our store for this price. | SOLD OUT * Vinedos Ithaca Odysseus Garnacha Blanca 2006
It's a hell of a lot of fun to introduce people to this wine. It's even more fun to let winemaker Joseph Puig introduce people to it at our bar like he did last year. Here's a case where the winemaker is as interesting and as joyful as the wine he makes. The Odysseus Garnacha Blanc was the first white Grenache we bought in 2005 and it has continued to be one of our favorite wines in the store. | SOLD OUT * Saxon Brown Cricket Creek Semillon 2006
So, the notes for this wine when we tasted it a few weeks ago were just, "I must have this". Our high-tech, complicated system of buying or not buying wines goes like this-- if Jen draws a smiley face and I don't, it goes to a drink off where we set it aside and try it again after it has time to breathe for awhile. If there are two smilies, it's a winner. Incredibly, we broke protocol with this one, bypassing smilies all together (God forbid), and just making a written demand on paper. | SOLD OUT * Curran Grenache Blanc 2006
This is one of the most eagerly awaited releases at CoWineCo every year, dwarfed only by that other offering from winemaker Kris Curran in late May (hint: it rhymes with blee-schmoke).
Well, where to start with this wine.....some have called it "Spring in a glass".... others call it, "that wine that accidentally falls into my tummy by the bottle-full" ... ok, maybe that was us. | SOLD OUT * Mason Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Randy Mason is known mostly for his fantastic Sauvignon Blancs, from his
Napa Valley bottling, to the reserve, to the wildly popular and affordable
Pomelo. But, recently our friends at Garber & Co. brought in what we're told
is the last bottling of cabernet that Randy and is wife Megan are going to offer. | SOLD OUT * Fiddlehead Cellars Oldsville Reserve Pinot Noir '03
If you've been into our store before and mentioned you were looking for a fantastic and unique white wine, we have more than likely walked you over to our Sauvignon Blanc section and picked up a bottle of Fiddlehead Cellars 'Happy Canyon' Sauvignon Blanc ($23.99/btl). We've stocked this wine since we opened our doors and it just keeps getting better and better. |
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