Emmolo Wines Sparkling Wine N3 California

Emmolo – the California label from Jenny Wagner, daughter of the legendary vintner, Chuck Wagner from Caymus, started this project as an homage to her great-grandfather, Salvatore Emmolo. This Champagne-style sparkling, made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, is a treat – that we scored for OVER 30% OFF!

This wine hails from chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards in the cool-climate, coastal zones of California - highly regarded vineyards from Sonoma’s Occidental to Santa Maria Valley down in Santa Barbara, and even the Santa Lucia Highlands. Many of these plots were planted by Chuck Wagner himself, and specifically chosen for their bright acidity that is so instrumental to crafting world-class sparkling wines.

The blend for this unique “No. 3” bottling is some 62% chardonnay, followed by 38% pinot noir, and a non-vintage selection of blending material – a la Champagne. The base wine is fermented in a mixture of stainless steel and French oak barrels for added complexity and texture, followed by aging on the lees in bottle for a full 41 months (by law, even NV Champagne only requires 15 months on the lees). The extra long aging makes this a unique bottling for Emmolo’s burgeoning sparkling wine program – so don’t be fooled by other retailer listings for different iterations of this fine wine! The result is layered and sumptuous, where a delicate mousse of energetic bubbles dissipates to reveal a creaminess that can only be achieved through extended aging on the lees. Aromas of white flowers turn to almond cookies and biscuit dough, with stone fruits like cherries and nectarines, punctuated with bright and zippy citrus like Eureka lemons and Ruby Red grapefruits. The finish is long and mineral-driven – with wet slate and struck flint notes carrying the day. It’s a somewhat surprising effort – with a quality beyond many California sparkling that cost far more! We’ll take a six-pack – and suggest you do the same!