Orders are available for pick-up at Restaurant Nicholas at 160 Route 35 South Red Bank, NJ 07701 during the following times:
Monday: 9:30-3:30; Tuesday – Friday: 9:15am – 9:00pm; Saturday: 11:00am – 9:00pm; Sunday: Closed
$28.00 $24.99
As Antonio Galloni noted, Graham Tatomer is one of the most unlikely superstars in American wine. If you want to make a name for yourself in this country, usually you have to do it making Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. Or all three. Graham Tatomer does not.
His obsession with the Loire Valley and Alsatian whites has brought him to southern California where he makes Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. But despite the odds being firmly against him, Tatomer has become like a cult vineyard in the 20 years it has been around – making some of the greatest cool-climate white wines this country has ever seen. What started off as a 400 case gigantic gamble has turned into a 4100 case super competitive allocation.
As Galloni said, “Graham Tatomer presented a phenomenal set of 2021s.” You’re not going to find a better white wine value in the states than this baby right here.
In stock
94 Points, Vinous
The 2021 Gruner Veltliner Meeresboden is the more aromatic of the two Gruners in the range. White flowers, jasmine, mint, pear, marzipan and citrus lend gorgeous effusive energy. The Meeresboden is a blend of John Sebastiano and Kick-on Ranch. The polished bright finish is a thing of beauty. The 2021 was aged in 80% tank and 20% acacia. Graham Tatomer has presented a phenomenal set of 2021s.
2022 was an absolutely perfect vintage in this respect and unfortunately, I think it will be one of the last, if not THE last. As winegrower Jean-Marc Brocard reported to Decanter: “When we taste the wines, we feel that the balance between acidity and ripeness is very good. It’s a classic style of Chablis. In the end, even after such a heat during summertime, we stay in a cool year reference.” He also alluded to the ageability of the vintage, saying “Let’s give them time, we must let nature do its work.”
The newly released Riesling Feinherb 2021 is a lively, juicy wine with an elegant bouquet of minerals, wet stone and ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine’s slight off-dry component is beautifully balanced by the steely acidity typical of the Mosel. Because this is freshly released, the fruit is vibrant and succulent and it comes in somewhere between off-dry and semi-sweet. It’s a great example of Riesling, especially at the price.
Stephan Steinmetz is a star in the Mosel wine region. His old vines are rooted in Kimmeridgian limestone, the exact same vein of rock that winds its way from Sancerre through Chablis and Champagne to its final out-cropping here in the Obermosel. His Elbling is glorious — both completely unlike anything I’ve ever had and also eerily familiar. The color is almost clear, some might call it silver. A stunning nose of green apples and lemon peel gives way to fresh pear and bright citrus fruits on the palate. It’s a stunningly focused wine with a healthy dose of minerality and acid zip, not unlike great Sancerre/Chablis and bone dry.
Glistening pale yellow-green to the rim, infused with mouth-watering aromas of ripe apple, pear and quince, and crushed almonds with honey and rich creamy middle and a fantastic rush of acidity and minerality that are present throughout. A calling card of Bonhomme’s Vire-Clesse, if you closed your eyes and took a sip, it would have you convinced you were drinking Meursault at least a 3x price tag.