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Tatomer, Grüner Veltliner, “Meeresboden”

California, United States 2018 (750mL)
$30.00
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Tatomer, Grüner Veltliner, “Meeresboden”

[Today, SommSelect is thrilled to welcome a new Contributing Sommelier to our growing team: Fine-dining pro and newly minted Master Sommelier Vincent Morrow. Vincent worked at iconic restaurants such as The French Laundry, Gary Danko, and Benu, and during that time, he became the USA Champion in the TOPSOMM Young Sommelier Competition and the Chaine des Rottisseurs Sommelier Competition. Read his thoughts below on SommSelect house favorite Tatomer, and keep an eye out for his byline moving forward! Cheers! — Ian Cauble, Founder & Master Sommelier]


When the SommSelect team contacted me to see if I’d consider adding my voice to their growing roster of contributors, I jumped at the chance—what a great way to share my passion for wine, and everything I’ve learned in my Master Sommelier studies, with as many wine lovers as possible. The criteria were easy to meet, too: Write about wines you truly believe in, they said, and as a longtime California restaurant pro and believer in the greatness of Californian wines, I couldn’t have made a better choice than Tatomer’s groundbreaking “Meeresboden” Grüner Veltliner. I was very fortunate to learn about and taste Graham Tatomer’s wines early in my career while working under Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly at The French Laundry. Although he had only produced a handful of vintages by 2013, the wines had a major impact on my development as a wine professional. “Meeresboden,” to me, not only speaks to California’s incredible viticultural diversity (which I believe to be under-appreciated), but absolutely nails the Grüner Veltliner variety, year in and year out. Having had all the greats from Austria, I can tell you that Tatomer’s interpretation does them proud—and it’s no wonder, because Graham studied with the best. Much as I’d love to present you this bottle, open it, and enjoy your reaction after taking your first sip, I’m excited to share it with you here!


Graham garnered experience critical to his style of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner in none other than the Wachau region of Austria—the flagship country for Grüner but a rarity on the resumes of American winemakers. Not only did Graham spend years in the region studying Grüner Veltliner, he did so under the tutelage of Emmerich Knoll, arguably one of the greatest producers on the planet for the country’s celebrated grape variety. Producing wine with Knoll and rubbing elbows with the top producers in Austria gave Graham valuable firsthand insight into the grape’s true potential. Following his time in Austria, Graham founded his winery in 2008 with 400 cases of Riesling. Today he produces a mere 4,000 cases in total between all his bottlings.



Today’s offer is for the 2018 Grüner Veltliner “Meeresboden” (German for “ocean soil”). This wine is sourced from two sandy vineyard sites in Santa Barbara County: John Sebastiano and Kick-On Ranch. Although it is a departure from Grüner Veltliner’s homeland on the schistous, sun-drenched slopes of the Wachau, Santa Barbara has proven over the decades its ability to produce world-class wine despite being one of California’s coolest growing regions. Ocean proximity and east-west orientation allows cool Pacific air to temper sunny days and keep fruit healthy, while sandy soils provide great drainage for the vines and produce abundantly aromatic wines—this one being one of the region’s shining examples.

 

The 2018 Meeresboden Grüner Veltliner shows a pale straw core in the glass with green reflections on the rim. Aromatically the wine is brimming with herbs, citrus and summer stone fruit—sun-kissed Mirabelle plum, white peach, summer greens, and accents of white pepper. On the palate, the wine is racy and electric with the ripeness of a lighter Smaragd, while retaining fresh herbal qualities reminiscent of more generous Federspiels. The balance between mineral and fruit elements in the wine is an element Graham captures beautifully in his winemaking. This wine is absolutely delicious now but can easily age for another 5-7 years (or longer) with proper cellaring. Expect the fruit to subside a bit over time and the palate to grow rounder and more honeyed.



Open the wine 10-15 minutes prior to pouring to allow it to acclimate and serve at 45-50 degrees in an all-purpose stem. Pair this with a late summer stone fruit & arugula salad with fresh goat cheese. Or do as the Austrians and drink this alongside schnitzel and fresh roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesSanta Barbara County
Soil
Various
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Grüner Veltliner
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2027
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Chicken Schnitzel

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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