2014 Ridge Syrah Lytton Estate
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Tasting notes
The 2014 Syrah Lytton Estate is starting to evolve on the nose, unveiling scents of leather, sous bois , undergrowth and exotic spice, but a load of sweet purple fruit is still at play. Candied blackberry, menthol, wintergreen and sassafras lend tons of Californian Syrah character, finishing with a firm kung-fu grip of chunky tannins. This is still brooding and powerful, but it has enough freshness and life left to keep it plugging on for several more years. The nose will definitely fade before the structure does.
Critic scores
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
"2014 was the driest year of the drought," winemaker Eric Baugher says. "We had one-third the normal rainfall." This is the current vintage for the Lytton Estate Syrah. "It's only sold in the tasting room, so we release it only when we feel it's ready. We make it in the Côte-Rôtie style, co-fermented with Viognier." Medium to deep ruby-purple, the 2014 Syrah Lytton Estate (6% Viognier) gives up warm boysenberries, blueberries, black cherries and blackcurrants with white pepper, sage brush, fried herbs, iron, toasted coconut and bitter chocolate with accents of game meats and red fruit sparks. Medium to full-bodied, it floods the mouth with fruits, spices and savory nuances—great concentration!—with firm, pleasantly chalky-textured tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and layered.
The 2014 Syrah Lytton Estate is just superb. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, dried herbs, menthol and tobacco all grace this super-expressive, unctuous Syrah. A wine of real character and nuance, the 2014 has everything it needs to develop beautifully in the cellar for many years to come. I will not be surprised if it shows even better with more time in bottle.
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.