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 easy to pour another glass, and another....
