Fluent Glass Cat Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2018

Knowing this project has been in the works for the last two years, we have eagerly been waiting for the day to come when we would get to taste the wine and then tell its story.  We are beyond honored to present to you a most special offering and one that is exclusive to ACME, the debut vintage of Fluent Wine.  We have said time and again, it is the people of Napa Valley and the relationships that are built here that make this such an extraordinary place to live, work, or visit.  One such relationship that all of us at ACME hold very dear to our hearts is with the proprietor of this new project, Rob Harrison.  Some might know Rob as the Director of Guest Relations at Meadowood, a Four-Star Luxury Resort owned by Bill Harlan nestled into the hills on the eastern side of St. Helena.  During his time at Meadowood, Rob mastered the art of hospitality, providing the highest level of service to his guests and forming life-long friendships with some of the most notable luminaries in not only the wine industry but the world.  While Rob still acts as a consultant for the Harlan Family and Meadowood, it was in 2018 that he shifted his attention to a project that would bring together his love for hospitality and the Napa Valley, Fluent Wine Company.
 
"I have always had an affinity for hospitality, art, and food. Creating exceptional wine is a way of combining these three passions."  ~Rob Harrison     
 
In his youth, Rob Harrison remembers pulling bottles of wine out of the cupboard for family dinners and reading the back label because he was interested in the story of the vineyard and the people making the wine.  He knew even then that within a bottle of wine held an entire world of stories to be explored.  As a young adult, he found the most rewarding virtue of traveling involved meeting new people, and wine offered the opportunity to honor the newly formed friendships while enjoying a meal together.  He developed a thirst for learning new cultures and customs and then began to focus his strengths, excitement, and devotion toward the hospitality industry.  It was then that his dream of the day he might develop his own expression of time through a glass of wine was established.
 
In his late 20's, Rob moved to Napa Valley and planted roots.  His welcoming, warm demeanor along with his savoir-faire landed him a position at Meadowood where he was immersed in the world of luxury hospitality and was surrounded by people in the industry and others from around the world who are considered the best in their field.  One of the virtues he developed and carries with him now is the idea that quality is something you must touch, feel, and experience which is a common theme in the industry.  These principles, ignited by his dream, guided his venture into the artful expression of the wine.  And in 2019, along with the guidance of Joe Harden (winemaker at Nickel & Nickel), Rob's life-long dream was realized when the first vintage of Fluent "Glass Cat" Sauvignon Blanc was produced. 
  
From the vineyard source to the bottle, Rob has spared no expense and meticulously considered every detail for the sake of art and excellence.  The name "Glass Cat" was inspired by L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz story, the Glass Cat being the guide through the Land of Oz.  The labels were drawn by an Illustrator from England named Jonathon Gibbs and depict the three stages of a wine's journey: the vineyard, the barrel room, and then the dining table.  When thinking about the presentation box, Rob decided he wanted to move away from the waste and weight of wooden boxes.  Rob said, "Don't get me wrong, we love them.  But you get to a certain point in your wine buying where you have enough wooden boxes.  And they just end up in the trash since the environment is forcing us to move away from wood fires in our fireplace.  I love when I buy a high-end product and the entire process means something."  The beautiful linen box they thoughtfully designed was manufactured in England by a well-known company that has made exquisite presentation boxes by hand for porcelain tea kettles for years.  For the shipping box, to keep the wine safe in transit and in storage while also being eco-conscious, Rob hired a company in the Midwest that manufactures foam from corn.  The foam completely disappears when soaked with water.  The same foam inside the presentation box is the same foam that protects the presentation box inside the shipping box, so every 3-pack shipment will arrive in perfect condition.  "Our presentation box can be repurposed as you see fit, or simply recycled.  One of the movements we subscribe to is increasing sustainability and eliminating waste in the wine business while keeping quality as our number one focus."
 
Within the legendary Panek Vineyard in Saint Helena (Pulido Walker and Rivers Marie produce exceptional Cabernets from here), sits just one acre of Sauvignon Blanc.  Rob, having the long-lasting relationships that he does in the valley, was able to source his Sauvignon Blanc from this tiny jewel of a vineyard.  Of the ten barrels produced, two were aged in new French oak and the remaining in neutral barrels.  Despite the judicious use of new oak, this wine has a great amount of richness and texture, a Chardonnay drinker's SB.  The silky, smooth palate is layered with a mélange of tropical fruit: guava, pineapple, green mango, and kiwi.  Bright notes of Meyer lemon and peach along with Asian pear and subtle hints of vanilla are intertwined with the luscious, yet mouth-watering finish.  If you have ever tasted (and loved!) Lail's Georgia Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley (made by Philippe Melka), this wine sits right up there in both its grandiose style and unabashed eminence.
 
Nothing short of excellence, this debut vintage comes from one of the most illustrious and respected people in Napa Valley.  Rob has put his heart and soul into this venture, and we could not be prouder of what he has accomplished nor more honored that he has chosen ACME to be the sole retailer of this special new project.