1991 Lytton Springs Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County

Community Tasting Notes (17) Avg Score: 89.1 points

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  12/18/2023 - enthusiastic_amateur wrote: 88 Points

  Still has ripe black fruits but starting to mature. High alcohol. A touch of VA?

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  2/21/2022 - WetRock wrote:

  While the cork still gave something of a pop even with the Durand, it did show significant ingress about 50% up all the way around. There is a dusty frame of oxidation all the way around. Not significant but ever a reminder. This took a good deal of air to open. Might even be its most exuberant on night two. Dark berry melange on the nose with hints of wild flowers, fresh wood and charred tea. The palate is still quite rich showing flesh and a fine grip. Purple berries, sandalwood and touches of citrus. Given the feel and structure this could have a ways to go. Storage and the cork are going to be everything. By the fruit this is far from tertiary. Another time capsule from this house. Interesting that they are effusive in their notes on the label about the vintage. This is of course a historically great vintage for Cab in CA. Other varieties have been a mixed bag in my experience. This certainly shows impressive fruit depth even if the complexity doesn't seem to have some along. Not my favorite vintage from this house but certainly a strong bottle of old Zin.

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  4/12/2021 - Baron Slick wrote: 94 Points

  Cool backstory: In 1971 Richard Sherwin bought old vineyard land on Lytton Springs Road, which connects Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley, and called it Valley Vista. A year later Paul Draper at Ridge Vineyards bought fruit from Sherwin but decided to identify the source as Lytton Springs, a historic term that he liked better than Valley Vista. In 1991, Draper bought Lytton Springs winery and vineyard from Sherwin, acquiring full rights to the Lytton Springs name.
  
  I can see why Draper was so enamored with this vineyard. At roughly 30 years of age, the bouquet bursts with black cherries, char, smoke, and licorice intensity. It's bright, dense, and generously packed with black currants and juicy, middle sweetness buoyed by umami complexity and bottle age maturity. Finishes long and ethereal. A testament to a well-made wine with a sense of place.

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  7/23/2020 - idonotlikeliver wrote: 89 Points

  spot on with last year's notes from REDMANCGE. thoroughly surprised (pleasantly so) how well this held up in spite of being long past its prime.

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  4/5/2019 - redmancge Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Gonna start this off with some background. Recently acquired over 100 bottles of 90's wine from an individual who did have a cellar for them to lay sideways. But lets just say they didn't appear to have been kept under a constant humidty and temp control. But I was willing to be the guinea pig for "science sake" haha. Keep an eye out for some short (in future) but interesting reviews as to which ones are ok and how they fared.
  
  This Lytton Springs for the age and storage conditions hit it out of the park. First cork was extracted with gas popper....love these on older vintages if cork will accept it to be inserted without pushing it down, I've gotten amazing results with it on 20-30yr old wines.
  
  Wine showed great deep ruby color with just a hint of bricking on the edge with a little funk that blew off after about 20 minutes decant. Nice med+ body totally integrated tannins allowing the fruit to shine with some Zin typicity but not real complex almost prune port like. Over the hill....probably and if you have it stored well will probably reward you well. A great wine experience for me being that I haven't had the opportunity to experience too many older Cali wines. Truly a testament that "every dog has its day" and this questionably stored bottle proved it. Can't wait to try some others soon. Sorry about the long winded story next updates will be more about the wines.

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