2011 Tatomer, Riesling, Vandenberg, Santa Barbara County.
Graham Tatomer’s wines are some of of the most thoughtful and well crafted examples of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner to be found in California, these are wines that YOU should look for and try, no question. Tatomer is well immersed into the Santa Barbara wine scene and has become a sensation across the state with these dry whites, his talents were born out of his time in Austria working with Weingut Knoll and the famed Emmerich Knoll in the Wachau region on the Danube west of Vienna, the home of Austria’s best whites, especially Gruner and of course Riesling. Graham has found some good and interesting vineyards, some with old vines going back as far as 1972, and his Vandenberg, named after the Air Force Base, is from sites near by with multiple pickings to get a range of flavors and driving acidity, he uses some Botrytis affected grapes in the blend that gives extra dimension, but this is stony dry Riesling through and through. The 2010 was lovely stuff, but I really love this 2011, it certainly captures vartietal purity and essence perfectly and has intense character, this was a super vintage for dynamic whites and this wine is spot on. The 2011 Vandenberg starts with white flowers, grapefruit, honeyed pear and petrol fumes leading to a crispy palate of chalk, mineral spice, river stones and wax with a vivid sense of green apple, melon, tangerine, lime and white peaches filling out the mouth and lingering on and on with a hint of mint tea and marmalade. This Riesling flows and expands with intriguing texture, but still excites and has a backbone of zest and tang making it perfect for seafood, and it is very lifting and refreshing. This wine is showing maturity and complexity already, drink now and for the next 3 to 5 years, be sure you check out Tatomer, this label should be on your radar.
($26 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive