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 bright fruit characteristics of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Each new vintage brings a reflection of their labor of love for the vineyards and the varietal.
Tasting Notes
Bright and clean! The personality of our Rutherford vineyards is prominent in our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. It’s true to the varietal with well integrated citrus, crisp honeydew melon, along with hints of tropical fruit and mineral nuances on the finish.
Vineyard Notes
Late Spring rains and mild temperatures, during the 2009 growing season, promoted uniform crops and even ripening. The vineyards, including the historic Emmolo River Ranch property in the Rutherford District of Napa Valley, were 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 the vineyards in the evening (mid August through late September) just as the fruit clusters turned golden in color.
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 microxygenation 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.
