In 1994, Cheryl Emmolo chose to produce Sauvignon Blanc for it's pure, refreshing qualities. Today, Cheryl and her son, Charlie Wagner, continue to embrace the distinctive fruit characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc. Each vintage reflects their labor of love for the vineyards and the varietal.
Tasting Notes
A juicy vintage! The personality of our River Ranch Vineyard in Rutherford is prominent in our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. It's true to the varietal with well integrated bright citrus, melon and lemongrass along with hints of tropical fruit and mineral nuances on the finish.
Vineyard Notes
: The growing season of 2010 brought late spring rains and mild temperatures. A long steady summer promoted uniform crops, even ripening and adequate time for the grapes to develop full flavors. Our historic Emmolo River Ranch property, in Rutherford, is farmed for optimal sun and air exposure. The Sauvignon Blanc vines are grown on an open lyre trellis, which opens the leaf canopy and exposes the clusters to air and dappled sunlight. This encourages the ripe, fruit forward flavors we prefer. Our yields were low and the integrity of the fruit was ideal throughout the growing season. We harvested at night, just before the autumn rains hit Napa Valley. (Mid August - late September)
Cellar Notes
Following a whole cluster pressing, Charlie fermented and aged the wine in 100% cement tanks. These tanks are unlined allowing the wine to go through a micro-oxygenation process (meaning the wine is able to breathe as it does through a barrel.) The use of cement tanks allowed Charlie to maintain the vibrant crisp components of Sauvignon Blanc producing wines that taste clean. Concrete allows the wines to ferment slowly, giving the wine greater depth. The tanks also impart mineral notes in the wine due to the materials used when building the tank (sand, crushed rock and limestone). Our tanks are chemical free and one of the most natural vessels available in winemaking... think of Egyptians fermenting wine in clay pots buried in the ground.
