In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century. Both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard were purchased in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under “Captain” William Litton’s ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved to “Lytton” by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.

Weather in 2018 After several early harvests, 2018 began on September 4th, a more typical start-date for Sonoma County. Natural yeast fermentations were slow but steady. Color and tannin were plentiful after just three days of maceration. To manage tannin extraction, we limited pumpovers to once a day for all petite sirah and many zinfandel lots. While approachable as a young wine, this full, rich zinfandel will age beautifully for at least ten years.

Technical Information:
Vineyard: Lytton Springs
Grape: 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane & 2% Mataro
Appelation: Dry Creek Valley
Alcohol: 14.5 %
TA: 6.02 g/L
pH: 3.70
Fermentation: Full crush; 100% natural primary and secondary; pressed at nine days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (10% new, 25% one year-old, 15% two year-old, 15% four years-old & 20% five years-old).
Ageing: Fourteen months in barrel

Tasting Note: 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. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni