A vibrant velvet red, earthy, and alluring, featuring scents of ripe plums, wild berry pie, and freshly wet soil. Notes of new leather, sweet cigar, sage and a whiff of mint add intriguing layers to the nose. The palate quickly builds and expands, offering flavors of mulberry, espresso, toasted wood and sweet spice. Tannins are extremely smooth, giving this wine a supple, soft texture. The lingering finish fills the mouth with richness of lush fruit and Mexican chocolate, with rustic accents of cinnamon and clove.

Produced by Jenny Wagner. 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 (including my dad and grandparents who started Caymus in 1972). 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.

Alcohol by Volume: 14.8%

Varietal: MERLOT