Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: Lytton Springs Zinfandel vertical

C's
Tasted Sunday, August 11, 2013 by AllRed with 724 views

Introduction

The 2nd Sunday group gathered for the normal double blind tasting. For this group, we are presented some whites, double blind, as warm ups before the main flight. The whites are discussed & unveiled before moving on to the themed main flight.

We spent forty five minutes or so tasting and evaluation the nine wines for the main flight before ranking the wines and then making guesses on what we were tasting. Wines are ranked 1-9, one point for each place, and then unveiled from last place to first place. After the tasting, dinner is served with the additional wines brought by the group, nonblind.

All are shown in the order tasted. For this tasting, we had 11 tasters and the cost was $25.

Flight 1 - Warm up whites (2 Notes)

Flight 2 - Main tasting (9 Notes)

M's sister bagged the wines, so he did not know the order of the wines in the flight. You will see that I have the 1991 Lytton Springs listed twice, along with a note about a questionable high fill. Marty had the 1991 in magnum format, and decanted it into two bottles and inserted each of them into the lineup. Even more interesting that they ended up next to one another in the flight. Discussions on these wines were all over the place- too old Bordeaux, early '80s CA Cabernet back when they were acidifying the wines, and on. I had no clue- if one held a gun to my head I'd have settled on CA cabs. I do not recall anyone saying Zinfandel though.

  • 1980 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 85 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    This is obviously old with a light orange color. Aromas of black tea leaf, dried leaves and macerated cherry. Light mouthfeel with a bit of a tannic bite, and flavors of sweet red fruit turning sour on the finish. Got better as it sat; notes of chalk and red fruit with a good bit of acid and flavors of cherries and dried leaves; loses the sourness.

    My #6, Domino's #5
    Group #8, 70 pts

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  • 1982 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 84 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Faded ruby core with a good bit of bricking. A bit reticent at first; clay, red fruit and tea notes emerge. High acid and somewhat austere with not much fruit. Decent length to the finish, surprisingly, with red fruit notes.

    My #7, Domino's #8
    Group #7, 67 pts

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  • 1978 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 83 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Brownish orange color. Aromas of cherry, dust and red berries. Has a medicinal red fruit quality on the palate. Hints of iodine in the aroma-do we have a Bordeaux?- some cranberry too. Acidity takes over though, ending with subtle cherry and medicinal qualities.

    My #8, Domino's #2
    Group #4, 51 pts

    This was tied with wine D at 51 points, and as each received two first place votes, the tie was broken by second place votes, one for wine C (ahem, Domino), none for D.

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  • 1979 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Orangish brown color with aromas of stewed, weedy vegetation and sour cherries. Weedy, stemmy qualities on the palate, along with red fruit and spice, turning a bit sour on the finish. With air though the weedy qualities turned to a pleasant herbal note and the fruit really began to shine. Improved in the glass more than any other in the flight. 89-90 pts.

    My #3, Domino's #7
    Group #5, 51 pts

    This was tied with wine C at 51 points, and as each received two first place votes, the tie was broken by second place votes, one for wine C, none for D.

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  • 1981 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County Flawed

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Dark core with some bricking. Initial aroma leads one to believe this is mildly corked...or is it just some "old bottle" funk that needs to blow off? Cherry fruit on the palate with a slight candied quality and spice tones. As it sat though, it became more obvious...corked.

    My #9, Domino's #9
    Group #9, 74 pts

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  • 1987 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Darker color than those preceding it. Aromas of herbs and candied cherries. Herb, red currant and cherry flavors on the palate. Picks up a subtle spice note on the finish as it sat. Elegant.

    My #2, Domino's #6
    Group #6, 54 pts

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  • 2005 Ridge Lytton Springs 91 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

    Dark color- darkest of the flight. Aromas of cherry, herbs and black fruit. Lots of fruit on the palate with a sweet edge. Finishes very nicely. Adds aromas of candied cherries, spice and baked plums. Sweet fruit with a long finish. 91-92 pts.

    My #1, Domino's #1
    Group #2, 43 pts

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  • 1991 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Rich noticed a high fill- not even enough room for a cork- before he took the first pour, and asked M if these had been decanted. "Yes they had," and M would say no more on the subject, but how does one decant and end up with (presumably) more wine than you had started with?

    Dark color. Aromas of blackberry, weedy vegetal notes too. Dark fruit on the palate with a decent finish. Seems to shut down in the glass, becoming more reticent, with notes of sweet dark fruit and not much else. Red and black fruit on the palate, maybe just slightly austere on the finish.

    My #4, Domino's #3
    Group #1, 35 pts

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  • 1991 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Notes of red fruit, cherry and menthol. Dark fruit and herb notes on the palate, with a fairly high amount of acid. Decent finish. Didn't change much during the tasting, other than to develop some red fruit tones to go along with the herbal qualities. 88-89 pts.

    My #5, Domino's #4
    Group #3, 50 pts.

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Flight 3 - Nonblind dinner/dessert wines. (12 Notes)

Tasted with grilled sausages & peppers, potato salad and Caprese salad. For dessert, we had fresh berries in a sweetened yogurt sauce, which was a delightful match for the d'Yquem.

  • 1988 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Deep crimson color. Opens with lovely funky red fruit followed by herbs and currants. Medium-bodied and nicely integrated with flavors of red currant, roasted herbs and forest floor. Has just enough of a pasture-like funk to make it interesting without being distracting or overbearing. Finishes well. Drink now-2016. 91-92 pts.

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  • 1988 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Crimson color with aromas of dark fruit, roasted herbs and tobacco. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Well-balanced with a good finish.

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  • 1988 Domaine de Chevalier 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Notes of red fruit, herbs, forest floor and iodine. A touch of funk and iodine on the palate as well, leading into a melange of dark and red fruits, roasted herbs and dried leaves. Nice finish. 90+ pts.

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  • 1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Wow, what a gorgeous wine. Aromas of spice, cherry, garrigue, licorice and a mix of red & black fruits. Very well-balanced with softened tannins and a terrific presence across the palate. Red fruit and white pepper tones on the attack turn to cherry, blackberry, sage, thyme and anise through the midpalate and finish. Ends with white pepper and red fruit nuances. No harm in drinking this beauty now. 94-95 pts.

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  • 2001 Château Sociando-Mallet 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Dark color, opening with a green, herbal funk and lots of dark fruit- blackberry and plum. Medium-bodied with some tannin to integrate yet, the palate revealed flavors of blackberries, currants, dried herbs, earth and roasted bell pepper. Balanced, with a lengthy finish.

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  • 2010 Peter Nicolay Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese 92 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Pale color with notes of peach, stone fruit and petrol. The palate mirrors the bouquet, with a bit of mineral too, and a balanced, lengthy finish. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

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  • 2008 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 91 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Aromas of chocolate, cherry, plum and dark fruit. Medium tannins; flavors of vanilla, spice, black cherry, dark fruit and chocolate. Long finish.

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  • 2000 Château de Malleret 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Garnet color. Red fruit dominates the bouquet and palate. Has a green vegetal undertone that borders on being too green, a bit more and it would be distracting. Tobacco and earthy notes as well. Finishes just a little short. Drink now-2015.

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  • 2000 Hauts de Pontet-Canet 86 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Aromas of dark fruit, herbs amd earth. Medium-bodied with flavors of red fruit with a weedy, vegetal quality that unlike the de Malleret, doesn't work for this bottle.

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  • 2010 Château Bellevue Peycharneau 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

    Dark in color and loaded with sweet, jammy- well for Bordeaux- dark fruit. Herb, spice, vanilla and blackberry jam qualities. Decent finish.

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  • 1977 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 96 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    From 750ml. Light crimson color. Aromas of raisin, cherry, dried currants, florals, plum and blackberries. Youthful and balanced. Loads of fruit- blackberry, cassis, cherry- along with spice and floral qualities. Long finish. Absolutely terrific. 96-97 pts.

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  • 1988 Château d'Yquem 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    From 750ml. Deep yellow/gold color- looks much younger than some 2001s I have seen. Aromas of baked apricot, ripe Methley plums, honey, orange blossoms, marmalade and tropical fruit. Amazingly rich, viscous texture that coats the palate. Flavors of apricot, honey, pineapple, marmalade, tropical fruits and spices. A long finish that lingers for well over a minute. 97+ pts.

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