This wine is outstanding, and while Portugal doesn't have an audience like some other regions, it has kept the prices down, making for some outstanding buys that far exceed expectations. The 2000 Luís Pato Quinta do Moinho is a dry red wine produced in Portugal's Bairrada region, crafted exclusively from the Baga grape variety. The Pato family has been producing wine since at least the 18th century, with Luís Pato taking over the winery in the early 1980s. 1999 Luis withdrew from the Bairrada DOC due to disagreements over regional regulations, labeling his wines under the broader Vinho Regional Beiras. While he's no longer of the DOC anymore, he still remains the most recognized winemaker in Bairrada, pushing the boundaries of Baga with a more polished and refined approach. The vineyards here have been farmed organically for years and are composed of beautiful chalky clay and limestone soils surrounded by pine and eucalyptus tree forests. This wine spent about two years in new and used Allier French oak, giving it a much more unmarked profile compared to some of the American oak used here. This wine character is reminiscent of the elegant profile of 1985 Bordeaux crossed with the structure of something like Vega Sicilia and with the fruit and menthol signature that reminds us of a Heitz Martha's Cab. There are lovely aromas of black and red berries, mint, animal fur, game, Iron, menthol and vanilla. The palate is incredibly elegant and refined, with excellent underlying energy and perfect balance. 2000 was a lovely early-drinking vintage from Europe, but this wine has done wonderfully with time in the cellar and is in the ideal spot to enjoy. We cant think of a better choice to get introduced to the wines of Portugal, and it is an incredible value compared to twenty-five-year-old wines from anywhere else in the world. These bottles are in perfect condition, and we are one of the only retailers in the USA that have this wine. If you love Bordeaux, Rioja, or Domestic Cab, this has a little something for everyone, and it gets our highest recommendation!
John Gilman 93+ Luis Pato replanted his Quinta do Moinho vineyard in 1989, so these are some of the youngest Baga vines that he works with in Bairrada. The vineyard is surrounded by tons of eucalyptus trees, like Martha’s Vineyard in Napa Valley, and one does get a bit of their influence in the wines from this vineyard. His 2000 bottling is a current release and just starting to drink well, offering up a deep, black fruity and complex bouquet of dark berries, black cherries, dried eucalyptus, cigar smoke, gentle savory tones and a super base of dark soil elements. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with impressive focus and grip, still a fair bit of mellowing backend tannin and a long, complex and well-balanced finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2022 - 2060)
2000 Luis Pato Baga Vinho Regional Beiras Quinta do Moinho
2000 Luis Pato Baga Vinho Regional Beiras Quinta do Moinho
This wine is outstanding, and while Portugal doesn't have an audience like some other regions, it has kept the prices down, making for some outstanding buys that far exceed expectations. The 2000 Luís Pato Quinta do Moinho is a dry red wine produced in Portugal's Bairrada region, crafted exclusively from the Baga grape variety. The Pato family has been producing wine since at least the 18th century, with Luís Pato taking over the winery in the early 1980s. 1999 Luis withdrew from the Bairrada DOC due to disagreements over regional regulations, labeling his wines under the broader Vinho Regional Beiras. While he's no longer of the DOC anymore, he still remains the most recognized winemaker in Bairrada, pushing the boundaries of Baga with a more polished and refined approach. The vineyards here have been farmed organically for years and are composed of beautiful chalky clay and limestone soils surrounded by pine and eucalyptus tree forests. This wine spent about two years in new and used Allier French oak, giving it a much more unmarked profile compared to some of the American oak used here. This wine character is reminiscent of the elegant profile of 1985 Bordeaux crossed with the structure of something like Vega Sicilia and with the fruit and menthol signature that reminds us of a Heitz Martha's Cab. There are lovely aromas of black and red berries, mint, animal fur, game, Iron, menthol and vanilla. The palate is incredibly elegant and refined, with excellent underlying energy and perfect balance. 2000 was a lovely early-drinking vintage from Europe, but this wine has done wonderfully with time in the cellar and is in the ideal spot to enjoy. We cant think of a better choice to get introduced to the wines of Portugal, and it is an incredible value compared to twenty-five-year-old wines from anywhere else in the world. These bottles are in perfect condition, and we are one of the only retailers in the USA that have this wine. If you love Bordeaux, Rioja, or Domestic Cab, this has a little something for everyone, and it gets our highest recommendation!
John Gilman 93+ Luis Pato replanted his Quinta do Moinho vineyard in 1989, so these are some of the youngest Baga vines that he works with in Bairrada. The vineyard is surrounded by tons of eucalyptus trees, like Martha’s Vineyard in Napa Valley, and one does get a bit of their influence in the wines from this vineyard. His 2000 bottling is a current release and just starting to drink well, offering up a deep, black fruity and complex bouquet of dark berries, black cherries, dried eucalyptus, cigar smoke, gentle savory tones and a super base of dark soil elements. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with impressive focus and grip, still a fair bit of mellowing backend tannin and a long, complex and well-balanced finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2022 - 2060)
