At first blush, this wine doesn’t look or feel very ‘Californian.’ There’s a German word, “Meeresboden” (“sea bed”) on the label, along with an Austrian grape variety, Grüner Veltliner. Even the Germanic bottle shape is an outlier. But, in a sense, this wine is as Californian, and American, as it gets.
For generations, California winemakers (and growers) have looked to Old World Europe for inspiration, with results ranging from inspired (Cabernet Sauvignon) to misbegotten (Sangiovese). The “Rhône Rangers” proved that California could produce world-class examples of Syrah and Grenache, but taking hot-climate red varieties like those and planting them in Santa Barbara isn’t nearly the leap of faith that planting Grüner Veltliner there would seem to be. Classic Austrian Grüner Veltliner comes from a much more northerly latitude, and poorer, schistous soils on slopes hugging the Danube. But Graham Tatomer saw enough similarities in climate (and even soil) between Austria and his native Santa Barbara to indulge his passion for Grüner (and Riesling) on his home turf. I consider him to be the preeminent Californian interpreter of these varieties, both of which are very close to my heart. I love Austrian Grüner, and have traveled to its homeland repeatedly, and this 2016 from Tatomer stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the classics. Not every ‘international’ grape makes sense in California, but this one absolutely does—as will be evident on your first sip!
Graham Tatomer is only in his mid-thirties but already has a lengthy wine resume. He landed his first part-time ‘cellar grunt’ job for Santa Barbara Winery at the age of 16, quickly caught the bug, then made, and sold, his first wine before he graduated from high school. He worked cellar jobs around Santa Barbara as an unquenchable thirst for Riesling, of all grapes, continually grew. In 2003, he landed an opportunity with Weingut Knoll, one of the most revered wine estates in all of Austria, where he fine-tuned his winemaking skills for Grüner and Riesling under the guidance of Emmerich Knoll. Of his experiences there, he remarked, “I am appreciative of them…From hand-sorting trockenbeerenauslese at midnight, to building stone terraces in the snow using the methods of ancient Rome, I left with much more knowledge and experience than I came with and am eternally grateful.” Upon his return home, Graham worked as a winemaker for Martian Ranch, Brewer-Clifton and Ojai Vineyard as he labored to start his own brand. Finally, in 2008, his eponymous label was born—with a focus on Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. It’s been a meteoric rise ever since.
This offer is the 2016 Tatomer “Meeresboden” Grüner Veltliner, which is derived from carefully chosen parcels along several hillside sites in Santa Barbara County. Graham named the wine “Meeresboden” not only as a nod to the cool Pacific Ocean influence but to the soils of his chosen parcels, which are dominated by sand and diatomaceous earth (what he calls “ocean soils”). His production has remained resolutely small-scale, at just over 1,000 cases, but his wines get more allocated with each passing vintage—I’m not alone among my sommelier peers in lining up to buy these whites immediately upon release. We’ve offered the 2014 vintage of this wine previously and 2016 is yet another step up in precision and varietal purity. I don’t often perceive lots of minerality in Santa Barbara white wines, but this one has it in abundance. It suggests that this may be a combination of grape and place that merits broader attention.
This 2016 Meeresboden Grüner Veltliner exhibits a pale straw core with green reflections at the rim. Aromas of fresh green apple and white peach mingle with more savory, spicy notes of daikon radish, lime blossom, white pepper, a touch of candle wax and crushed stones. The racy, mineral-driven palate is medium-bodied with refreshingly high acidity. Flavors of green mango peel, stone fruits, lemon zest, crushed rock, and fine minerality deliver amazing refreshment. The wine is ready to enjoy now but it will keep for three to five years (or more) if cellared properly. I will be very curious to see what this wine is like at the 10- and 20-year mark, because I think it’s got the backbone for it—it will become rounder and more honeyed with age. In the meantime, I’ll be popping many bottles of this alongside lemon- and oil-drizzled seafood of all stripes, decanting it maybe 30 minutes before serving at 50-55 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems (or even larger red Bordeaux glasses). Pair it with a Mexican-style ceviche for the ultimate in NAFTA-inspired excellence.
