Emmolo 2019 Napa Merlot

Emmolo carries on a family tradition dating back to 1923, when my great-grandfather Salvatore Emmolo immigrated from Italy to Rutherford, Napa Valley. He bought property that remains in the family to this day and started a grapevine rootstock nursery that became the leading supplier to Napa Valley growers. My mother, Cheryl, has no brothers and dreamed of keeping the Emmolo name alive by starting a wine label using family vineyards. She launched Emmolo in 1994 and handed the reins over to me in 2011. Most of our grapes are still grown on family property, and my grandparents, Frank and Annie, still live in Rutherford — where they sit on their porch keeping an eye on the vines.

Merlot is a variety that requires hands-on manipulation in the vineyard — including crop thinning throughout the growing season — to make a rich, concentrated wine. My goal is to create a well-balanced Merlot with superbly rich fruit and soft tannins. I'm passionate about Merlot's potential, and nothing makes me happier than when people tell me that Emmolo helped them see Merlot in a new light. Grapes for this wine are sourced from Oak Knoll, which includes two family vineyards, one of which my grandfather Frank Emmolo purchased in 1972. On an average summer day, Oak Knoll is about 7 degrees cooler than Rutherford, allowing for a longer "hang time" than in warmer areas, which means that we can push the grapes to full ripeness.

Alcohol: 14.4%

This wine is sourced from vineyards in Napa Valley, including land that has been in the family of Jenny Wagner’s maternal relatives (the Emmolos) for generations. We seek out areas with light gravelly soil and ideal growing conditions that enable longer “hang time” for the grapes to achieve full ripeness. We also utilize techniques like crop thinning to produce an elegant, distinctive Merlot. This wine has expansive, dark berry flavors, a fresh earthiness and smooth, leathery tannins.