2020 Emmolo Merlot Napa Valley
Jenny Wagner, of the ‘Caymus’ Wagners, helped her mother Cheryl restart Cheryl's family winery in the original building in Oak Knoll. Emmolo is now owned and run by Jenny, making her own mark in her own way. Her Merlot is sourced from holdings in Oak Knoll that have been in their family for generations. Oak Knoll is a little cooler than the vineyards up-valley, making it the ideal spot for Merlot to get maximum hang time. This is a plush, aromatic, satisfying Merlot with notes of black cherries, ripe plums, black currant, dark chocolate, and mint. If you are looking for a delicate, frilly Merlot, you won't find it here.
Yet another Wagner joins the fold! With her brothers Joe and Charlie running Belle Glos and Mer Soleil, respectively, and her father Chuck helming the family flagship at Caymus Vineyards, Jenny Wagner is taking a different tack in continuing her mother's side of the family legacy. Dating back to the 1920's when her maternal great-grandfather established a vineyard nursery in Rutherford, Jenny's roots on both sides of her family tree stretch deep into the very early days of Napa Valley. She has partnered with her grandparents, who still own and farm Napa vineyards, and her mother, who established the brand by making wine in the same building that housed the family's original winery in 1934. Emmolo (em-oh-low) represents another step forward for one of Napa Valley's first families of winemaking excellence.