Luis Pato Maria Gomes Vinho Regional Beiras 2010

A blend of 95% Maria Gomes and 5% Arinto grapes. Beautiful lively medium size pearls, with an aromatic nose of honey, ripe pears, peaches, and a slight tinge of salt air. The palette is very flavorful and fruity with a creamy orange zest, golden apples, and a little tropical fruit like pineapple. Dry, with plush creamy bubbles, bright acidity, and a medium finish with a lip smacking aftertaste. This is a great sipper for the spring and summer and should work well with grilled sardines, fried calamari and and maybe some briny fresh oysters. This is a quality Portuguese sparkler with the second fermentation done in the bottle just like Champagne. If you like Cava and French Cremant you will certainly like this! Don't be a hater just because its from Portugal this juice is good! 3.5/5

Features musky green fruit and mineral. Nose of musk or must, green foilage or stone fruit (green or white nectarine). In the mouth tastes musky with dryish soil, mineral, and slightly underripe, sour green stone fruit (green or white nectarine and green or white plum). Not too slick (glycerin-y). Finishes sour-bitter with citrus rind, mild citrus, and plum-nectarine. Good food wine, unsure how to pair, might go with shellfish. Body medium plus, acid medium. 12% abv.

From Maria Gomes grapes planted on sandy soil over 35 years ago. A nose of honey and almonds, cold baklava, orange blossom, and I swear honey nut Cheerios in a very good way. The palate has some fresh herb quality like chervil and mint, mild lychee, Meyer lemon & salty minerality. Medium bodied, bright acidity, medium long juicy finish. Good quality wine from a relatively obscure varietal which is also called Fernao Pires in other parts of Portugal. Fernao is the equivalent to Ferdinand so is seems strange that the grape is both feminine and masculine or maybe androgynous, I will investigate the meaning behind the name. Drink with fish and shellfish. 3/5

100% Maria Gomes (aka Fernao Pires in other parts of Portugal) from 35 year old vines. Pale greenish yellow color, with moderate aromas of honey suckle, chamomile, almond marzipan, and call me crazy a salty ocean breeze. It is medium dry in style, medium bodied, lively acidity, and a medium finish. On my palate it gives moderate flavors of honey, peaches, and ripe Asian pears. This wine somewhat is reminiscent of a lean viognier, a little austere on the nose with pronounced honey like characteristics. I might pair this with delicately prepared fish and shellfish. 3/5