Ridge - Lytton Spring Dry Creek Valley 50th Anniversary 2022
Price: $49.99
| Producer | Ridge |
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| Country | California |
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| Region | Dry Creek Valley |
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| Varietal | Petite Sirah |
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| Vintage | 2022 |
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| Sku | 35871 |
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When I tasted the 1973 Lytton Springs Zinfandel upon its release in the early 1970s, I fell head over heels for wines made from these vineyards. The 2022 has re-kindled that feeling. This is the second time I tasted this vintage (the first time was a few weeks ago at the vineyard site with the Ridge crew and colleagues in the business. All I can say is, "Wow!" This wine excels with aromas and flavors of beautiful mixed spices, dried flowers, and a bounty of berries. Serve this with a slow-cooked lamb stew, and see for yourself.
--Wilfred Wong of Wine.com: 97 Points
Ridge Description
Complex nose of boysenberry, cigar box, anise and sage. Full-bodied with well-coated tannins and balanced acidity. Notes of plum, blackberry, mineral, pepper and dark chocolate.
Blend: 67% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignane, 3% Alicante Bouschet
James Suckling: 95 Points
This is the kingpin of Ridge’s Sonoma County heritage blends and it doesn’t disappoint. Equal parts fruity, spicy and savory on a full body braced by moderate tannins. Judicious oak spices like cedar and cigar box complement pure, ripe blackberries and raspberries and a dash of black pepper. Known to age well for decades.
Decanter Magazine: 95 Points
This bottling marks the 50th Lytton Springs from Ridge, and appropriately, the wine is beguiling and intense—pure Americana and emblematic of Ridge's commitment to the heritage varieties and vines in California. Lytton Springs is home to 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah and Carignane, among a few other varieties. This bottling has become a standard bearer for the notion of California Zinfandel: smoky clove spices, toasted cinnamon sticks, bramble fruits and spicy black plums. The palate shows intense concentration, red and black plums, black pepper, muddled mint leaves and an undertone of dried anise and thyme. Delicious and built to age.
Vinous: 94 Points
The 2022 Lytton Springs 50th Anniversary is a characterful edition of this classic cuvée, notable for its élevage in only American oak. Exuberant cherry/berry fruit and licorice meet with grilled herbs, tanned leather, vanilla and dill, all energized by juicy acidity. This is a large-scale wine that will certainly stand the test of time. The clarity and precision here are commendable, especially packaged in such a broad-shouldered frame. Fabulous.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
The 2022 Lytton Springs 50th Anniversary is composed of 67% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignane and 3% Alicante Bouschet. It opens with initial touches of glossy new American oak—dill and toasted coconut—and gives way to kaleidoscopic black and red plums, cherries and berries, plus accents of hibiscus and potpourri. The full-bodied palate features generous, spicy flavors. It’s structured by abundant, powdery tannins and lively acidity and has a long, detailed finish. Winemaker Shauna Rosenblum says this 2022 was crafted using only American oak, a shift from the blend of French and American oak used in the past. It has resulted in a particularly pure, transparent expression that opens dramatically with air, and this 2022 Lytton Springs will benefit from several years in the cellar.
