2009 Tatomer “Vandenberg” Riesling

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$24 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

We have two wines this month from up-and-coming Graham Tatomer, a young winemaker who is widely acknowledged as a wizard when it comes to making rieslings. Graham has traveled a rocky road on the way to launching his own brand, starting first as a cellar rat in Santa Barbara, then returning to college to earn a degree in English, to making repeated trips to Austria, where he learned the nuances of making riesling, spending a year there on his first visit.

Graham might be a talented winemaker, but he sure isn’t spending any time maintaining his web site (www.tatomerwines.com), so I searched the web for other sources. An excellent story about Graham was published on one of the Internet’s finest wine blogs, www.vinography.com, hosted by Aler Yarrow. You can read his piece about Graham by clicking here.

I met Alder at a wine writer’s symposium at the Meadowood resort in Napa a few years ago, and he is a remarkable person. Excellent writer with a bulletproof palate. Check out his web site if you get a chance.

One other bit. . .this wine is name after Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, CA, because the vineyard where this fruit is source is adjacent to the airfield.

Vinography Tasting Notes (Alder Yarrow): “Light gold in the glass, this wine has a nose of lemon zest and floral aromas. In the mouth the wine is bright with green apple and delicate white flower flavors. A nice mineral undertone with a hint of sweetness lingers on the finish. Fantastic acidity and wonderful balance. Lovely.”

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