Emmolo Merlot 2016
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
A dark rustic red, the 2016 vintage features rich, fragrant scents of blueberries, coffee beans, leather, and a hint of pomace, enhanced by notes of violet, anise, and wildflowers. Entry on the palate is silky, then builds with flavors of dark berry crumble and shaved chocolate. Tannins start off soft, holding onto their softness and fine texture even as they become more pronounced. This is a wine that fills and coats the mouth, leading into an extremely long finish marked by flavors of coffee beans and dark cocoa.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: With each passing year, I am looking at Emmolo as the Right Bank of California. TASTING NOTES: The winery's 2016 Merlot banks on a plethora of exquisite flavors and covers the spectrum of berry nuances—red, blue, and black. Its lush and elevated layers on the palate make it perfect choice with pork rillettes, raclette, and a freshly-baked baguette. (Tasted: July 12, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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James
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Robert
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Tasting
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James
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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.
As Napa Valley’s third most planted grape, Napa Valley Merlot shows time and time again its potential to produce exceptional results. Napa’s vaunted combination of climate, soil and the human factor of winemaking expertise lead to big, ripe, cellar-worthy and world-class versions.
Whether made by itself in single varietal bottlings or as an important role in Bordeaux Blends, Merlot continues a prominent role in this famous region. While Cabernet typically takes the lead role, Merlot’s contribution—even at 10% to 20% or so—is significant indeed. Often described as “the flesh on Cabernet’s bones,” Merlot lends a soft, round and plush character that beautifully complements Cabernet’s linear, full-throttle structure. Its flavors of plums plus subtle herbs and mint also dovetail nicely with Cabernet’s blackberry and cassis.