THE WINE

Blend: 100% Syrah

Vineyard & AVA: Kimsey Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County

Alcohol: 15.5%

Aging: Enjoy now, or lay down for 10-15 years

THE SONG

I moved to the Cambria in the Central Coast when I was a young boy. It was a pivotal time in my youth and my emotions ranged from excited to frightened, and what many people don’t know is that I always had a constant in my life, Erika. She’s my wife and mother of my son Evan now, but we actually met as kids and she has been a part of my life ever since. It wasn’t until high school when we began dating, and one of those dates was to a Jack Johnson concert in Santa Barbara. We decided during our college years to follow our own paths, trusting fate to reunite us if that was our path. Happily, it was, and I would be completely lost without her in my life. When she was pregnant with Evan, we would listen to the Jack Johnson album “From Here to you Now” on repeat. Evan took his time coming into this world, and I can’t tell you how many times we listened to our song, “I Got You” during those 36 hours of labor. Erika’s favorite wine has always been Syrah, so this one is dedicated to her. Erika– “I Got You”

THE WINE

Blend: 100% Carignan

Vineyard & AVA: Paper Street Vineyard in the Willow Creek District, Paso Robles CA

Alcohol: 15.5%

Aging: Enjoy now, or lay down for 10-15 years

THE SONG

“Carry On” by Fun. is a great reminder to maintain a sense of levity in life. Even when things seem dire, the problems of today rarely remain so after a bit of time passes, so why worry too much? The past few years have been a challenge for us all, and it’s easy to allow ourselves to get overwhelmed, but look at where we are now! We made it through and things are looking up, and hopefully we all grew through the struggles. In spite of a dicey couple years financially, I decided to take a calculated risk and follow my heart by putting an offer in on my own Estate vineyard this year. It was a a move made miles outside of my comfort zone, and in spite of all the joy, the uncertainty of closing on the property was emotionally draining. Until I had the keys in my hand, I had to not let my hopes get up too high. The Song “Carry On” by Fun. was one of Evan’s (my son) favorites on the album, and he insisted on playing to school everyday. In my head, I’d be stressing out but looking at him bouncing up and down, singing along next to me always put my mind at ease. When I was trying to find a song that fit this bold and intense wine, I felt this was a perfect fit. Carignan (pronounced “caring-yawn”) also sounds a lot like “carry on,” especially if you’ve had a couple glasses of this amazing wine.

VINIFICATION

Fermented on native yeast, 30% whole cluster, on skin for 14-18 days. Aged for 22 months in 265L Hungarian oak barriques, 100% new.

TASTING NOTES

100% Carignan from Paper Street Vineyards. Aged in 100% new French oak, these were the very best Carignan barrels of the 2019 vintage. I’ve always loved the nose on Carignan–it reminds me of my early days in Mexico when the first rain would fall and the smell of the rain hitting the red roof bricks. The palate shows tart cherries, paprika, leather and tobacco.

THE WINE

Blend: 100% Merlot

Vineyard & AVA: Shell Ridge Vineyard, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles CA

Alcohol: 15.5%

Aging: Enjoy now, or lay down for 10-15 years

THE SONG

Thirty years ago, critics and fans felt like LL Cool J was disconnected from the current state of hip-hop. While some artists may have been crippled by negativity, LL used it as the impetus to grind even harder. He perfected his sound and doubled down on his unique style that the haters couldn’t understand with his fourth album, “Momma Said Knock You Out”. LL begins the eponymous track with the line “Don’t call it a comeback!” which definitively sets the tone for both the track and the album. He was able to create a place for timeless and classic hip-hop to shine, unapologetically, and his work lifted the culture of the day and continues to be one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

VINIFICATION

100% destemmed, fermented on native yeast, on skin for 14-18 days. Aged for 29 months in 265L French oak barriques, 100% new.

TASTING NOTES

100% Merlot from Shell Ridge Vineyard in the Adelaida District. It’s a vineyard owned by the Villacana family. Villacana may seem familiar to the members that have followed my journey through Paso, as I poured my first vintages of Bodega de Edgar in a small space near their tasting room.

It’s an opulent wine, expressing classic Merlot characteristics in a deeply concentrated way. We’ve got brooding aromas of violets and blackberries on the nose, with inflections of herbal notes. The palate further elaborates the small fruits while adding black cherry and plum, while the herbs are underpinned with notes of vanilla and baking spice. This Merlot finishes with striking balance and finesse, making it all too

THE WINE

Blend: 100% Petite Sirah

Vineyard & AVA: Lago Vineyard, Templeton Gap District, Paso Robles CA

Alcohol: 15.5%

Aging: Enjoy now, or lay down for 10-15 years

THE SONG

“Win” is a track that Jay Rock dropped when he was just making a name for himself. His was a one-track mind, wanting to win at all costs, and willing to spend any effort in pursuit of that goal. For me, Petite Sirah is a grape that shows incredible tenacity and is really starting to establish a name for itself, especially in Paso, where it ripens beautifully. This is a grape that countless wine drinkers have already fallen in love with, and haven’t even known it–it finds its way into many popular “red blend” wines due to the power and concentration it provides. California goes big, and not much goes bigger than Petite Sirah. We love to make and drink it, Paso loves to grow it, and that’s a win-win.

VINIFICATION

100% destemmed, fermented on native yeast, on skin for 14-18 days. Aged for 29 months in 265L French oak barriques, 100% new.

TASTING NOTES

The only thing about this wine that’s “petite” is the size of the berries we harvest. They say great things come in small packages, and this wine is as great as it is massive in the glass. This wine is not about finesse; it’s about power. I’ve aged it in 100% new Hungarian oak barrels for 29 months for some spice, and sourced the fruit from the Dusi family’s Lago Vineyard in the Templeton Gap District. The wine is deep and dark, inky purple with aromatics of super ripe red and blue fruits, roasted black plum, cool mint and dark chocolate. Black cherry liqueur and black-plum flavors meet with toasty oak on the palate, which is framed by polished tannins. It’s a Win-Win.