Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc 2004
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Winemaker Notes
Tasting Notes:
Mouthwatering lemon zest, melon and grapefruit with a hint of starfruit highlighted by a trace of mineral and tropical notes that round out the lengthy finish.
Vineyard:
The vineyards, including the historic Emmolo family vineyards in the Rutherford District of Napa Valley, were farmed for optimal sun and air exposure. Among these vines is the Emmolo family's River Ranch Vineyard, which was planted to Sauvignon Blanc in the 1950's. The growing season for the 2004 vintage was “unpredictable". Winter rains came in early November leading to some consistent to heavy rains through early January. Suddenly, we slipped into fair weather and everything dried up. Without warning, several big storms hit and brought us an abundance of rainfall through Mid-April. By Mid-March, our temperatures soared to 95 degrees taking us all by surprise. Bud break came about 3 weeks early. There was even growth through harvest. On August 23 and 24th the fruit was ideal.
Winemaking:
Following whole cluster pressing, Charlie, fermented 15 percent of the wine in neutral barrels, primarily French. To highlight the Sauvignon Blanc's vibrant characteristics, 85 percent was racked off to stainless steel vats for fermentation at cool temperatures. In blending the wines resulting from these two approaches, we sought a multi-flavored wine with concentrated fruit flavors and well balanced acidy.
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Emmolo Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine each feature a distinct style created by Owner/Winemaker Jenny Wagner, who embraces new techniques in both the vineyard and her winemaking. Emmolo is named for Jenny’s maternal relatives, who came to Napa from Sicily in 1923 and founded a rootstock nursery that supplied many of the region’s growers. Their land still provides many of the grapes for Emmolo.
On the paternal side, Jenny’s roots trace back to 1857, when her third great-grandfather captained a wagon train to Napa Valley, beginning a long history of farming and winemaking. In 1972, Jenny’s father, Chuck Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyards along with her grandparents, Lorna and Charlie Wagner Sr. Jenny feels extremely fortunate to be following in her family’s footsteps and to be putting her own mark on Emmolo wines.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.