2020 Luis Rodriguez "Vina de Martin Os Pasas" Ribeiro Blanco

Last year, Patti and I visited El Meson in Rice Village, one of Houston's classic restaurants for Spanish cuisine. We picked off a gem, their last bottle of 2014 Luis Rodriguez "Escolma" Ribeiro Blanco. Have you ever felt like you "won" the wine list? That was the feeling I had, and the wine's honeyed Puligny-esque vibes thrilled me over the course of the whole meal. The arrival of Luis Rodriguez's wines immediately became an annual celebration for me. His winery is situated in the historical Ribeiro zone in Spain's northwestern Galicia region near the Portuguese border. The native grapes he has re-planted are mostly unseen and unheard of internationally, and they're not easy to pronounce; the local language there is Gallego, a language unique to Galicia that sounds like a blend of Spanish and Portuguese. A few hundred years ago, Ribeiro was a dominant wine region, and they sold many of their wines to the English. However, wars (and more wars) stifled the region's viticultural prowess. Rodriguez has ripped up the bulk Palomino and Alicante Bouschet grapes planted over the last century, and his mission has been to restore the primacy of the native grapes: Treixadura, Godello, Lado, and Albariño for whites and Brancellao, Souson, Caiño Tinto and Ferrol for the reds.  Enjoying these wines requires a leap of faith, and it's one I am going to ask you to take. The region's geographical location imparts wonderful food wines with terrific balance from the moderating Atlantic coastline, and its granitic, sandy soils offer sheer mineral character across wines of both colors. Whether you're a vinous explorer or someone who just loves White Burgundy (get the Escolma!), there's something for you here. -BRANDON KERNE, MASTER SOMMELIER