2018 Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Springs
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Tasting notes
72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mataro. More typical growing season than those that were to follow. Not too hot and they picked in the second week of September, as had been usual. Translucent garnet. Heady nose with some real allure and development. Whistle-clean and complex. There’s a little suggestion of heat on the end. (It was from the era when this was still a feature of some wines.) But so distinctive. Just so neat. No oak influence, just that of ancient vines. Still relatively tightly wound. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan and 2% Mataro. Medium to dark garnet. Smells of dark berries, dried flowers and liquorice root. Flavours of roasted fig, blackberry and black cherry mix with plum and dried herbs as muscular tannins squeeze the palate. Excellent acidity keeps things fresh as dried herbs and road dust linger in the finish. (AY)
The 2018 Lytton Springs is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro. The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It's stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar. 11,900 cases produced.
The 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent. Elegant, layered and so complete, the 2018 has a lot to offer, but it needs time to fully come together. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and rose petal open up in the glass. Bright acids and beams of tannin give the wine its vibrant energy. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. Wow!
About the producer
Best known for its iconic Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards makes some of California’s finest wines – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Long a pioneer of sustainable farming and minimal-intervention winemaking, Ridge makes an extensive range from Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains.