2 hour decant (mag decanter). Well this was disappointing given how great the last bottle was on 9/22. While not corked nor any evidence of brett this was devoid of fruit for the most part and overly acid driven. No score given.
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I enjoyed this better after it had been open a while--it took a minute (as the young people say) for the fruit to come forward. Excellent balance once it opened up. Good match for burgers on the grill.
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Tasted right out of the bottle and then consumed about an hour later. On first taste this showed dark fruit and good length, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the oak, which completely overwhelmed. An hour later it showed much better, with more discernible dark berry notes and dried herbs. Definitely recommend giving this some air.
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The 2018 Lytton Springs is 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, 2% Mataro (aka Mourvèdre) brought up for 14 months in 10% new American oak. Harvest took place between 4th September and 18th October. 14.5% ABV. It spent an hour in the carafe then was paired with homemade burgers. The nose is captivating (quite sensational, I can even say) and perfectly open, with perfumes of blackberries and red plums mingled with blood orange, violet, a few rose petals, a hint of black pepper and very, very subtle wood. At the first sip, we look at each other: “Wow! That's great!”. Palate starts discreetly, then a wave of juicy, fleshy layers surges into the mouth. It's medium-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, and it finishes long, long with loads of juicy, slightly peppery fruits and a bit of coffee. This is a wine that combines richness, intense tastes and crazy elegance. It's definitely ready to go now (remember to aerate it for 1 to 1.5 hours if you uncork these days) but I guess it'll climb an additional step with more time in the cellar. [Photo on Instagram]
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Evolving very well. Complex, ripe zinberry, deep petite sirah, savory carignane, all combine into a sauvage blend. Perfumed & concentrated. Really speaks of vineyard & age. I’ll pop #4 in 2 yrs & expect #5 to easily make 10 yrs gracefully. Glad I have 2, wish I had a couple more to enjoy. Great structure & light sandpaper tannins balance really flavorful fruit. 3 of 5 Epitome of the timeless Ridge Claret style which has endured for 60yrs.
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More advanced than I expected. Nose features blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, anise seed, cardamom, and molasses. Full bodied, thick and slightly sweet smooth tannin works well with glossy acid. While substantive it’s not cloying, delivering a slightly gritty mouthfeel. Flavors include blackberry, spiced plum, sweet black licorice, black pepper, cinnamon, and black tea extract. It’s really accessible now with a 30 minute decant. I have a second bottle that I’m going sit on for a few years to see what happens.
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From magnum bottle. This is showing the best on day 3. Notes of ripe dark cherries, some red plum, sweet spices, graphite, some tobacco leaf, smoke and also flowery notes as well as some savory spices. It‘s full-bodied, dense and structured, with medium-full body, excellent persistence, mediu-high acidity and some medium-high tannin that is excellent quality but present. This will need a few years to open up, but a great Lytton Springs in the making. There is so much depth and complexity here.
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Zinfandel - has never really been my cup of tea. Still on the young and vibrant side. Plummy fruit to the fore, one might almost call it opulent. If you like a tannic structure to your wine, I doubt this is for you. To me it lacked complexity but I have comparatively little experience of the variety
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Tasty but still super young. Blue brambly fruit but it's still not fully integrated yet, with a distinct savory note prominent on the finish. Give her time!
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At five years, this wine is in a great place and very food friendly. Enjoyed with mesquite smoked chicken, potato salad and coleslaw. The 14.5% alcohol was very noticeable, but definitely mitigated by the food. Aromas and flavors display a plethora of very ripe red, almost jammy fruits: juicy plums, ripe cherries, crushed raspberries, week old strawberries, black peppery notes, mixed green herbs, wet forest floor, and iron enriched earth. Seamless structure. Medium plus finish. I found this to be much more enjoyable with the food than without. Drink now, unlikely to improve with further aging, or drink through 2028.
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Opened, poured into a decanter and enjoyed. Saved half under Vacuvin and refrigeration. Tasted the following day. Gabriel Glas stem. Dark purple color. Nose offers purple flower fruits (violets and some lavender?) along with dark fruits, licorice and hint of oak. Nice full bodied wine, with dark fruit and a spice element. Sufficient acidity to keep it lively. he floral note weaves through on the back end. Enjoyable.
Quality cork; branded with vintage.
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This wine never disappoints. A blend of mostly Zinfandel you get a lot from this bottle. Lots of dark fruit, some cedar wood, some spice and earthy tones. Taste is bold yet balanced. Love it.
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Been nearly two years since my last one, and believe it has improved considerably. Pulled from cellar at 65 degrees, and PnP'd first glass. Did not take detailed notes, but first glass was very enjoyable and it got better over the next four hours. Fruit and tannins in good balance, this is drinking nicely right now.
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Solid wine. This qualifies as a Zin, but with the 28% blend of other wines, the taste and flavor profile changes. No big, jammy Zin. This is more nuanced and light.
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Deep ruby colour. Medium and developing nose with black plum, blackcurrant, tobacco, leather, wet leaves, forest floor and black pepper. Medium taste of blackcurrant, blackberry, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and black pepper. Long and dry finish. High acidity. High tannins. Full body. A very good Californian Zinfandel that begins to show some maturation. Drink now or over the next eight years. Goes well with beef, duck or pork.
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From a 375. Improved since last note. The oak is still prominent, but wine is on a good trajectory. I anticipate that in a couple more years, the oak will be in a good place and wine will be excellent.
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This bottle was a little more dilute than the last one. The oak has settled down a little bit and you still have lovely fruit flavors of boysenberry and blackberry. Alcohol is under control but just not a lot of concentration or intensity.
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Decanted 1 hour. Nose of sour cherries, blackberries, plums, black tea, mixed savory spices, a bit of black pepper, and a slight hint of lavender. Heavy bodied and a bit flat on the acidity. Palate of prunes, blackberries, bright cherries, raspberries, and a bit of herbal spices. Heavy sharp tannins bring in that black tea flavor. The finish is a bit hot on the back of my throat. The main part of the finish has a quick attack of herbs and oak spices but then a sustained tart black fruit and saline note sticks around.
There is something lacking about this vintage compared to the others I have consumed. I don't think giving it more air will help. It's a bit disappointing since Lytton Springs is often one of the standout bottlings from Ridge.
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There was a time that Ridge was our go-to wine. The first thing that struck me upon tasting this wine was the lack of what I called dimension. Beth noted that there weren’t separate flavors like a bass note, or a snare hit, or a cymbal crash. The wine was just there. Even after being opened for an hour, it still seemed flat, and mildly acidic.
I thought this was drinking pretty well already, even though young. Complex red and black fruits, pepper, tannins beginning to soften. Looks very promising for the future.
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This is a young bottle. Needs a few more years. Deep purple color and big nose of dark red fruit with hints of black pepper with some savory spices. Palate showed a strong tannin and firm acids. Good depth of flavor but needs the tannins and acids to calm down, was 4 years for the next bottle.
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Another excellent Ridge wine, this one 72%Zinfandel, 18%PS, 8%Carignane, 2%Mataro. Ridge does a great job of blending other grapes with Zin to enhance the wine. blackberry, pepper, raspberry. Long finish and great mouthfeel.
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1 hour decant (mag decanter). Nose: Moss, wood and stone minerals abound with cassis and fresh mint underneath. Palate: Nice and peppery with a very dry component that tells you "this is old school Zin" (love it!). Linear acids and tannins give this a lazer-like focus that crescendos into a black pepper finish contrasted beautifully by the red fruited flavor profile. Absolutely fabulous and now I get why it commands the price it does. Bravo...and showing once again why Ridge is king of Zin!
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Quality stuff here with black plums, earth, tobacco, spice and a characteristic Zin spice note on the nose. Quite succulent and sweet on the palate, rounded in that everything is in balance and nothing sticks too much, considerable finish. Very good, actually, truly great expression of Zinfandel variety.
Primarily Zinfandel, with Petite Syrah, Carignane, and Mataro. Less juicy, brambly zin character than one might expect. But with some interesting secondary herbal and earthy notes. 14.5% ABV. Nice balance and structure.
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Pretty rough on night 1 as the new oak influence dominated everything. But night 3 this was thrilling. Bright red fruits with concentrated juicy palate and hints of spice and clove. Solid Zin. Wish less oak.
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This is everything a Zin should be, just delicious, even now. This will also definitely age & gain complexity buttressed by savory fruit. Hard not to appreciate this, no matter your individual proclivity. Outstanding. 2 of 5
One hour double decant. Very deep purplish magenta color. Chipotle raspberry jelly on buttered toast and cherry cola on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate. Full tannins on the longish finish.
My first try of this one for a long time, I can recall some positive memories, quite pricey over here in europe, more than 40€ a bottle the cheapest, in this case exactly 44€, so I do really hope for an epiphany! The next glance meets the label, uiuiuiui, 14,5% ABV, are we talking about bottled fruit jam? So pnp, the truth is always in the bottle, what a fine smell emerges right away, spice, mulberry, cranberry, cassis and more spice, on the palate very fresh fruit appearance initially, same basket of juicy, not jammy black fruit intensively, spice, freshness, real great structure, I am enemored and really impressed! My girl, sipping on a Champagne by the way, takes a long sip of this one too, meet her view, oooooooh, what a fine really great stuff, paired with some iberico chops and pasta, what a fine dinner! Think this is very , very young at this moment still, but so delicious already, enjoy or hold! **(**), An easy 93 for tonight,
Opened 3hrs prior to dinner. Finding it open & largely resolved decided to simply further slow ox in Riedel BDX & btl. Started sipping an hour prior to dinner & lovely! I love that the 72% Zin is augmented by a good mix of Petite Syrah, Mourvèdre & Carignan. All old vine from this legendary site. The cool blend offsets Zins tendency towards fruity jam stand alone and makes this so much more intriguing while cementing it's place as one of CAs most unique reds with an old-world feel. I first tasted this with dad back in '73, who was in a way, a pioneering small midwestern retailer back then to offer CA wines like Ridge, Mayacamas, Heitz, Hanzel and the like. Christians Brothers, Almaden & Paul Mason were ubiquitous back then. Ridge had the exact same geeky, data filled, label then. Yes this is big & powerful but so nuanced with inviting fruit but also a unique range of savory notes. Plenty of refreshing but no overbearing structure keeps this fresh and semi buoyant. Still some vanilla to resolve. I grabbed a '19 to try soon but I'm going back for more of these '18s if there's any left. I don't have a place in my cellar for most zins but I have plenty of room for an occasional Lyton Springs!
Nose of violets and blueberries. Delicious, juicy, crunchy blueberry fruit on the palate. The acidity is beautifully counterbalanced by notes of dark chocolate and some creamy vanilla oak that is present but never overbearing. Medium body. Lovely fuzzy texture. Best Lytton Springs I've had in a while.
Drinking beautifully! Great, earthy nose. Subdued and light, but lovely and sophisticated. Not jammy. Delightfully complex with red berries, cocoa, lovely integrsted tannins. Very nice!
The best edition of Lytton Springs to date. Wonderful wine that I'd drink on a daily basis. Deep, brooding violet in the glass. Nose is abundant with black berry fruit, plums, vanilla, butter and dark chocolate. Full-on powerhouse on the palate, with loads of density. The tannins are firm, but do not play the main role here. The fruit concentration is the spotlight. Long, juicy finish with some sweet touch from the oak. Lovely wine.
Nice nose of raspberry and cocoa… Palate is slightly thin but flavorful with raspberry, cherry, cocoa, and a balanced finish with tannins and acidity and minerality all in context.. Only negative impression is one of thinness on the mouth feel..
Everything it’s cracked up to be. Also, like crack. All the drinkability of zin, with a seductive petite sirah peppery layer. Love is love is love is Ridge.
tight and not particularly enjoyable on P/P; held to day 2/3 when it opened up with plenty of stuffing, black and blue fruit, earth, herb, je ne sais quoi, but still too 'young' and a bit burly for me at this point in time. Will hold my remaining bottle for at least a couple of years.
14.5% abv. Med. dark ruby, strong aromatics. Ripe plum, red cherry and blue fruit. Excellent depth and length. Very well mannered and accessible now, with the potential for significant improvement. Very nice effort by the Ridge team!
Popped and poured.. Found this one to be a little tight on the nose and palate. Drinkable now but I bet it will be better in 2-5 years. Drank during a casual dinner and didn't take a detailed note. Decanting could be a good idea in the near term.
one of my favorites from Ridge, not classified as a Zin as it has only 72% Zinfandel, along with 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, and 2% Mataro. Juicy blackberry, sweet oak, chocolate, pepper, black cherry. Wonderfully made and balanced. A great food wine.
Not decanted. Bramble berry and blueberry fruit, sweet note of liquorice and other sweet spices, camomile tea. Balanced, rich and voluptuous palate. Highly hedonistic and another great vintage for this zin blend from Ridge. Reminds me more of the 2014 than the 2016.
My first Lytton Springs. Decanted but immediately poured a glass to see what we have here. A little shy on the nose, some perfume but not great. Initially a little tight but unwound in the glass and into the second. Fruit is evident but not at all jammy. Light tannins and medium finish. Very enjoyable now but assume it will only get better, so will do my best to lay off these for a while.
Day 2 Update: Perfume a little more prominent,maybe slightly longer on the finish. I liked better but wife liked on Day 1 better. No great changes either way.
From magnum. This is a beautiful field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Mataro. Ridge has mad this bottling since’72.
Opaque violet with enticing dark fruit(blackberry, boysenberry) anise, mocha, and black pepper. In the palate it’s medium bodied and fresh with well integrated velvety tannins and flavor of plum, boysenberry, savory spice with a long savory finish. 14.5% abv
Great nuance with this one - all the Zin highlights with few (if any) of the Zin excesses. Well-perfumed, nicely balanced despite the high alcohol, nice acid structure and a very pleasant, subtle but persistent finish. I'm not usually a Zin guy but I like this.
Absolutely lovely. Fairly deep ruby purple Blueberries blackberry and a hint of wood Rich, yet restrained. While entirely approachable and enjoyable now, I think this would benefit from a few more years of integration
In a lineup of new world reds, this comes across as extremely balanced. Aromatics of blackberry, boysenberry, cedar and bay leaf. It has a little of the calling card wild candied fruit, but this is overall restrained. Just needs some years for the wood to fade and it will be great.
Medium ruby red colour. Pronounced nose with blueberry, black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, smoke and violet. Pronounced taste of blueberry black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, smoke, toast, licorice, black pepper and dried herbs. Long and dry finish. Medium acidity. Medium tannins. Full body. An outstanding Zinfandel based Californian red blend with great potential. Needed an hour of air to open. Drink over the next ten years. Goes well with beef, duck or pork.
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First bottle of a case. I gave it about three hours of air in the bottle, taking a small pour to create a little more air space. I didn't take any detailed notes, but I thought this showed well, albeit not quite at the level of the '18 Geyserville.
Full and rich, notes of cherry and raspberry, stone fruits, vanilla, oak, tobacco, with forward tannins. Drinking nicely now, but could certainly site for a number of years.
Cannot get enough of any Ridge wine. Intense dark fruit, chocolate, and licorice flavors balanced by beautiful bright acidity and supple tannins. great length with vanilla notes in finish. Cellar potential 5-10 years with a lot of evolution ahead. Or drink now, monstrously enjoyable.
I have been enjoying Lytton Springs (and its siblings) for decades and it seems the price did not increase appreciably, and quality did. Well done Ridge!
3.5h air. Ridge is becoming a favorite producer, they always seem to make things which are interesting and beyond the ordinary, this is no exception. Pale purple/ruby color. Offers blackberry, moss, white pepper, and violet. Big and mouth-filling, with fine-grained tannins adding necessary rigidity to the sweet and spicy palate: red and black fruit, pepper and some leather and licorice in the finish.
Not decanted, two small pours consumed over ~45 minutes at cool room temp. Deep but restrained brambly black cherry fruit, but the oak is too prominent in this one for my tastes, overlaying the palate with notes of dark chocolate and, to a lesser degree, tobacco. It is well-balanced in its style and seems to have structure to last. I haven't had a large number of Ridge zins, but my impression is that I prefer them with age rather than in their youth before the oak has time to integrate.
Best of the Zin lineup thus far. Still bright with this little age, but the cab lends a nice background waft of cassis and some depth. Will be doubtless better in several years. Decent qpr imo.
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Ridge's 2018 Lytton Springs (a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan and 2% Mourvèdre) can best be described as "luscious." This particular bottle was Vinturi-decanted and enjoyed over the ensuing three hours, fully opening after the first 90 minutes. Opaque crimson at this youthful stage, it is packed with dark bramble fruits, black cherries, anise, pipe tobacco, savory herbs and bittersweet chocolate. Full-bodied and with excellent freshness, it keeps its 14.5% alcohol in check, has just the right amount of creamy oak and layers the flavors with plentiful silky tannins. Dense on the mid-palate and lengthy on the back end, this wine's ripe fruit and soft textures make it so easy to drink! Enjoy it throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
Day 1: 92 pts. A lot of cherry, red berries and with the right acidity to improve more , therefore, save for later. Medium body and not very long finish. Day 2: 92 not much change.
Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, blueberry, black pepper and sour cherry. Flavors of boysenberry, wild cherry, raspberry, hint of blueberry and white pepper. Ends with a 30-35 second finish with boysenberry and cherry notes. Packs a lot of flavors but a bit lighter on it's feet than most Zins.
This wine came very highly recommended and was a W.S. top 100. I actually preferred the Ridge Geyserville to this bottle. It was smooth, but not up to my expectations.
Opened 3 hours. Color is deep red/purple. On the nose: blackberries and mixed red berries, a hint of vanilla. On the palate: Blackberries, baking spices, Mixed berry liquor. Very long. This is very good.
I felt like this wine wasn't near as good as it came recommended. I think the palate is quite boring and even flat. The 14.5% ABV helps to cover up flaws in the wine, tried it again on day 2 and day 3 and no improvement. On day 3 the palate was fully flat and it was like a wooden spoon.
My recommendation would be to drink the whole bottle upon opening, and pairing it with food will help as well. With the alcohol content it will liven up any dinner party, but if you are in the mood to enjoy a glass, I would look elsewhere unfortunately.
This is as good as the critics say, probably one of the best Lytton Springs I have tasted, with more dark and bruised fruit, this shows velvety tannins with a rich and succulent mid palate the finish is long. This is young yet with so much potential this will be a joy to revisit over the next 20 years
good, but a little heavy on tannin at this stage - will be interesting to try to second bottle some time in the future.... definitely better the 2nd day
Followed a 2016 K Vintners Cattle King, and this Ridge blend more than held its own. Short decant, no big youthful structure to deal with. The flavors are a little angular but overall this is really nice. At this price point offers a huge platform of flavors and high-end texture. Will definitely buy more and see how it develops.
Blackberry jam, plum, chocolate, baking spices, cinnamon nose. Full smooth mouthfeel, dry, high tannins with balanced acidity. Palate is red fruit like strawberry, jam, brown sugar, and a touch of pepper. Really nice. Astringent lingering finish. 93 pts
Had this 2018 after 24 hour double decant. Had as part of Sunfish cellars zoom tasting with Ridge general manager David Gates. Tasted side by side with 2012 and 2014 Lytton Springs.
72% Zin, 18%PS, 8% carignane. 14.5% Garnet Aromatic blackberry and raspberry Off dry, medium body, bright and juicy, low tanins Black fruit, blood orange, tangy raspberry Very flavorful, not jammy, long finish. 14.5% is hardly noticable
Vertical tasting takeaways: Surprised how nice the 2018 was this young. The 2018 actually had more fruit and less tannins than the 2014 (which was most muted of the 3). Now not afraid to open more of the 2018s early. 2012 was best integrated, and overall most pleasing/elegant package. Had all 3 wines with beef bourguignon (recipe/pairing recomendation from Ridge website). Which was both a fantastic pairing and recipe.
Ridge Lytton Springs Tasting: My favorite among the three 2018 zinfandels we sampled, the Lytton Springs was dry, acidic, not at all sweet, and clearly built for aging. Cherry, cracked pepper, flowers, and menthol are all present now, but I think they'll really start showing in another 5 years or so as the tannins settle down.
Consistent w other Lytton Springs that I’ve had -> fruit driven, and the petite sirah cones through leading to a more intense profile. I prefer the Geyserville but this is also a good one and I’ll probably get another bottle or two for aging.
Decanted one hour before tasting, and then drank over next five hours. Translucent bright ruby colored. Juicy dark cherry/cranberry nose along with some cigar. Medium-plus body with medium-plus tannins and medium acid. Initial taste yielded strong graphite flavors over some cherries. The graphite continued with spiciness through mid-palate and finish. With air the fruits kept getting darker, first blackberry syrup, then plums. Around the six hour mark this started to really open up with mouth-coating tannins, dark cherries, and still the prominent graphite. Think this could be really good in a few years, 89+
This is quite gorgeous Medium ruby purple Tons of bright blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry fruit along with rose, orange. Bright acidity and a fine structured tannins. This perennial favorite has hit even higher heights this year. Simply outstanding
Color: pale purple Nose: very fruity - cherry, blueberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco Palette: stewed red fruit, stemmy, Mouthfeel: soft, flabby but ends with a nice grippy finish
Very tight on opening with the acid prominent, needed a good 90 minutes of air to open up. Full of black fruit, good weight and richness to the fruit, lots of acid, oak more subtly in the background than young Ridge zins can show. Delicious and showing well with air, with the fruit mostly burying the fine tannins.
Opened in bottle for 4-5 hours. Actually more approachable/juicy in the first 2 hours and closing off near the end. Raspberry, black cherry, clove, anise, oak and mineral. Really nice stuff with good depth but just not something I crave often given the sweetness. Likely better in a few years.
From half bottle this immediately shows its breeding. The suave berry fruit, and precise frame speak to the vineyard and the producer. It’s clearly a Ridge wine, and the flavor carries on forever. I wish I had opened a full bottle. In comparison to the 2018 Pagani Ranch, which I opened the other day, this has more richness, and so more early appeal. That said, there’s no question that it can go the distance the way Lytton always does.
Big ripe forward Zinberry fruits. Jumps up. Much more fruit forward than the Geyserville is. Hints of new Am oak. Not showing a lot of extraction. Winemaker notes on the bottle seem to concur. That leaves the palate feeling somewhat more structured than you would have expected by the smell. Medium light tannin over a solid acidic spine. This came off a bit more out of balance on night one. Night two saw the more balanced version. There is a bit of warmth. Where the Geyserville seemed like an Old World wine of indeterminate origin, the '18 Lytton S is clearly a classic CA Zin. Given the ripeness I think the PS and Carignan are lending a lot of the structure. My only pause on extended aging is the relatively high ABV. But overall a strong CA Zin blend. I'd let this rest another year or two before digging in if you can wait to let that oak integrate a bit better and for it to relax onto it's bones a bit more. Of course this should age longer than that without a second thought.
Young, and a bit rough right now. I like the wine’s well-judged balance (this is Ridge after all) and firm structure, but the fruit runs a bit hot and the oak has not integrated yet. Give it time.
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Some floral aromas, but largely muted. Some blackberry flavors, seems muddled. Good acidity but lacks structure and appears linear. Seems flabby and relatively uninteresting. Light tannins, short finish.
Kinda all over the place right now - some dark fruit but then some high toned (maybe underipe) fruit. I think its all there and will be amazing. But hold off for now.
Pop and pour. Incredibly fresh and vibrant at the moment. Clearly a very young wine. Enjoyed over 2 hours and it only got better. Anxious to see what 5-10 years will do to this stellar wine.
Solbær og solbærblad på duft; varm, men ikke søtlig. Mer sødme i munnen, deilig frukt, men fint balansert av tanniner og litt syre som løfter vinen mange hakk. Kraftige og smaksrike saker, men på en elegant måte, uten for mye fat eller ekstraksjon. Lang. Deilig vin!
Decanted and enjoyed with a smoked pork shoulder. Youthful, but approachable, with juicy flavors, and a smooth mouthfeel. Red and blue fruits: cherry, blueberry, raspberry, green herbs, black tea, coconut oil, and moist black earth. Components not quite completely integrated, tannin and acids still looking for harmony. Medium plus finish. Can drink now,but additional cellaring will support further development. Drink through 2028.
Drank this after the ‘13 Lytton Springs. Really fun comparison between young and mature. Fruit exploded out of the glass. Pick which berry you want to say this smells/tastes like, they’re all there. A really pleasant and fun wine to drink and will be interesting to see where this goes over the next few years.
Really young, American oak notes resolved after a couple hours air. Darker fruited, suave tannins and smooth palate. A bit of spice adds complexity. Spicy oak notes notable on the nose. Still needs some time to come together but the potential seems to be there. Tannins a bit austere on the backend. better on night 2. Tannins softened and oak notes more in check. Berry driven fruit with some night spice (briary) highlights. Petite syrah definite add some body and structure. Definitely given this some air if drinking now. Plenty of upside
Awesome version of this. Black fruits dominate. Black cherry, elderberry, black plum, a little blackberry... mostly fresh, but there is certainly some jammy and dried fruit character. Bright high notes of blood orange flit about too. Lavender, incense, coconut, clove, vanilla, licorice.... a little sage and roasted meat... there's a beautiful interplay of American oak spice and ripe wine grape spice. Fresh and firm, this wine always has some serious tannin and acid, but it cuts and grips a bit more in 2018. Full and velvety, long and tangy, with great fruit intensity through the mid-palate, and lots of tannin and spice on the finish. A bit austere for a Zin blend, it is nonetheless a joy to drink. I would save it for 5 to 10 before trying again. It'll keep for 20 in a good cellar, quite possibly much longer. This stuff rules. Yumyumyum
Pop and pour. Aromas of boysenberry, cherry, blueberry, white pepper and raspberry. Flavors of blueberry, cherry, raspberry, pepper and boysenberry. Ends with a long finish of 40 seconds with blueberry notes. Still a bit tight but no denying the quality.
Deep dark garnet in color, essentially opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with briary overtones, spices, dried herbs, dark cocoa, pepper, minerals & a hint of vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plummy/jammy, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & blueberries with spices, herbs, minerals, cocoa & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but has the fruit & structure to continue development with additional more years of aging if cellared properly. A blend of 72% Zinfandel. 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane & 2% Mataro (Mourvdre); Alc. at 14.5%. A more forward Lytton Springs than from years past.
Decanted for two hours. This is definitely young and unformed, but there is no denying the quality here. So much depth of plumy fruit and spice. Mouth filling, layered and long. This will certainly age well.
Opened out of curiosity as I have several of these saved for later. Consumed over 3 nights. Too much oak and acid at this point, although things improved with 24 hours of air. Still enjoyable, but too young. I much prefer the 2018 Paso Robles Zin at this point for the better fruit profile. Expect that this will more than catch up over the next few years.
Red fruit, plum, licorice, floral notes on the nose. Still very young but the potential is there, improved over time. Good acidity and balance. Long silky finish.
4/24/2024 - noni15 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much better wine now than the bottle I opened in 2022. Still room to improve but right now is amaizing a very well structured.
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4/24/2024 - Mattshank wrote: flawed
2 hour decant (mag decanter). Well this was disappointing given how great the last bottle was on 9/22. While not corked nor any evidence of brett this was devoid of fruit for the most part and overly acid driven. No score given.
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4/10/2024 - gmbdds wrote: 92 Points
Cool blue fruited with subtle spice and tea notes. Nicely integrated with fresh acidic backbone. California with a hint of Italy.
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3/3/2024 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this better after it had been open a while--it took a minute (as the young people say) for the fruit to come forward. Excellent balance once it opened up. Good match for burgers on the grill.
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2/8/2024 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Tasted right out of the bottle and then consumed about an hour later. On first taste this showed dark fruit and good length, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the oak, which completely overwhelmed. An hour later it showed much better, with more discernible dark berry notes and dried herbs. Definitely recommend giving this some air.
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2/4/2024 - FamousWine Likes this wine:
The 2018 Lytton Springs is 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, 2% Mataro (aka Mourvèdre) brought up for 14 months in 10% new American oak. Harvest took place between 4th September and 18th October. 14.5% ABV. It spent an hour in the carafe then was paired with homemade burgers. The nose is captivating (quite sensational, I can even say) and perfectly open, with perfumes of blackberries and red plums mingled with blood orange, violet, a few rose petals, a hint of black pepper and very, very subtle wood. At the first sip, we look at each other: “Wow! That's great!”. Palate starts discreetly, then a wave of juicy, fleshy layers surges into the mouth. It's medium-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, and it finishes long, long with loads of juicy, slightly peppery fruits and a bit of coffee. This is a wine that combines richness, intense tastes and crazy elegance. It's definitely ready to go now (remember to aerate it for 1 to 1.5 hours if you uncork these days) but I guess it'll climb an additional step with more time in the cellar.
[Photo on Instagram]
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2/4/2024 - stokeme wrote: 93 Points
Evolving very well. Complex, ripe zinberry, deep petite sirah, savory carignane, all combine into a sauvage blend. Perfumed & concentrated.
Really speaks of vineyard & age. I’ll pop #4 in 2 yrs & expect #5 to easily make 10 yrs gracefully. Glad I have 2, wish I had a couple more to enjoy.
Great structure & light sandpaper tannins balance really flavorful fruit. 3 of 5
Epitome of the timeless Ridge Claret style which has endured for 60yrs.
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1/30/2024 - cjsadler Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well right now.
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1/14/2024 - pas.vino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent! Aging beautifully. Complex, smooth , elegant.
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1/3/2024 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
More advanced than I expected. Nose features blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, anise seed, cardamom, and molasses. Full bodied, thick and slightly sweet smooth tannin works well with glossy acid. While substantive it’s not cloying, delivering a slightly gritty mouthfeel. Flavors include blackberry, spiced plum, sweet black licorice, black pepper, cinnamon, and black tea extract. It’s really accessible now with a 30 minute decant. I have a second bottle that I’m going sit on for a few years to see what happens.
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12/25/2023 - jpcart Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well right now with an hour in the bottle. Well done zin, not overly ripe.
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11/25/2023 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
From magnum bottle. This is showing the best on day 3. Notes of ripe dark cherries, some red plum, sweet spices, graphite, some tobacco leaf, smoke and also flowery notes as well as some savory spices. It‘s full-bodied, dense and structured, with medium-full body, excellent persistence, mediu-high acidity and some medium-high tannin that is excellent quality but present. This will need a few years to open up, but a great Lytton Springs in the making. There is so much depth and complexity here.
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11/23/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
From MAG. A very well balanced package, carries its ripe fruit well with good structure and freshness. Medium+ complex finish.
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10/30/2023 - belfast taxman wrote: 87 Points
Zinfandel - has never really been my cup of tea. Still on the young and vibrant side. Plummy fruit to the fore, one might almost call it opulent. If you like a tannic structure to your wine, I doubt this is for you. To me it lacked complexity but I have comparatively little experience of the variety
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9/23/2023 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasty but still super young. Blue brambly fruit but it's still not fully integrated yet, with a distinct savory note prominent on the finish. Give her time!
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9/17/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
beautiful wine, feeling very much like a Bordeaux blend. complex and intense with firm tannin, thinking this would be even better with more time.
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9/5/2023 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Restrained, not a lot of fruit.
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9/4/2023 - wmccone54 wrote: 91 Points
At five years, this wine is in a great place and very food friendly. Enjoyed with mesquite smoked chicken, potato salad and coleslaw. The 14.5% alcohol was very noticeable, but definitely mitigated by the food. Aromas and flavors display a plethora of very ripe red, almost jammy fruits: juicy plums, ripe cherries, crushed raspberries, week old strawberries, black peppery notes, mixed green herbs, wet forest floor, and iron enriched earth. Seamless structure. Medium plus finish. I found this to be much more enjoyable with the food than without. Drink now, unlikely to improve with further aging, or drink through 2028.
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8/27/2023 - HeavyPourWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sunday night dinner in Marietta (Sommelier Guild of Atlanta) (Marietta, GA): Very nice lighter bodied red. Paired with brunswick stew
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8/15/2023 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Opened, poured into a decanter and enjoyed. Saved half under Vacuvin and refrigeration. Tasted the following day.
Gabriel Glas stem.
Dark purple color.
Nose offers purple flower fruits (violets and some lavender?) along with dark fruits, licorice and hint of oak.
Nice full bodied wine, with dark fruit and a spice element. Sufficient acidity to keep it lively. he floral note weaves through on the back end.
Enjoyable.
Quality cork; branded with vintage.
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7/23/2023 - Goofienewfy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine never disappoints. A blend of mostly Zinfandel you get a lot from this bottle. Lots of dark fruit, some cedar wood, some spice and earthy tones. Taste is bold yet balanced. Love it.
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7/9/2023 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 90 Points
solid as usual...really like Ridge products
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6/21/2023 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Been nearly two years since my last one, and believe it has improved considerably. Pulled from cellar at 65 degrees, and PnP'd first glass. Did not take detailed notes, but first glass was very enjoyable and it got better over the next four hours. Fruit and tannins in good balance, this is drinking nicely right now.
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4/25/2023 - Stampeder Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid wine. This qualifies as a Zin, but with the 28% blend of other wines, the taste and flavor profile changes. No big, jammy Zin. This is more nuanced and light.
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4/22/2023 - nehpets99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great fruit flavor from the zin but restrained, balanced, and refined.
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3/17/2023 - SuperSomm wrote:
Deep ruby colour. Medium and developing nose with black plum, blackcurrant, tobacco, leather, wet leaves, forest floor and black pepper. Medium taste of blackcurrant, blackberry, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and black pepper. Long and dry finish. High acidity. High tannins. Full body. A very good Californian Zinfandel that begins to show some maturation. Drink now or over the next eight years. Goes well with beef, duck or pork.
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2/20/2023 - DPetrone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Definitely improving ..will be a stunner in few years
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2/10/2023 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
From a 375. Improved since last note. The oak is still prominent, but wine is on a good trajectory. I anticipate that in a couple more years, the oak will be in a good place and wine will be excellent.
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2/9/2023 - jviz wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was a little more dilute than the last one. The oak has settled down a little bit and you still have lovely fruit flavors of boysenberry and blackberry. Alcohol is under control but just not a lot of concentration or intensity.
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2/5/2023 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid wine but not groundbreaking.
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1/5/2023 - Slaz wrote: 90 Points
Still fairly young. Not the best vintage for Lytton Springs though.
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12/30/2022 - ChateauShiny wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nose of sour cherries, blackberries, plums, black tea, mixed savory spices, a bit of black pepper, and a slight hint of lavender. Heavy bodied and a bit flat on the acidity. Palate of prunes, blackberries, bright cherries, raspberries, and a bit of herbal spices. Heavy sharp tannins bring in that black tea flavor. The finish is a bit hot on the back of my throat. The main part of the finish has a quick attack of herbs and oak spices but then a sustained tart black fruit and saline note sticks around.
There is something lacking about this vintage compared to the others I have consumed. I don't think giving it more air will help. It's a bit disappointing since Lytton Springs is often one of the standout bottlings from Ridge.
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12/28/2022 - MattFultz wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. You’ll be rewarded with a 60 minute decant. The fruit softens and the Zinfandel zip comes back.
Integrated and smooth. May age yet but drinking well now.
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11/26/2022 - Nursepixel wrote: 76 Points
Moderately good but lacks depth and complexity. Somewhat jammy but the acidity is overpowering. Maybe too young?
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11/26/2022 - SlappyCellars wrote: 60 Points
There was a time that Ridge was our go-to wine. The first thing that struck me upon tasting this wine was the lack of what I called dimension. Beth noted that there weren’t separate flavors like a bass note, or a snare hit, or a cymbal crash. The wine was just there. Even after being opened for an hour, it still seemed flat, and mildly acidic.
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11/25/2022 - Andymanno5 wrote: 85 Points
Pleasant to drink with some herbaceous notes but mainly about too jammy (red and black fruits)
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11/19/2022 - drmilkweed Likes this wine: 93 Points
I thought this was drinking pretty well already, even though young. Complex red and black fruits, pepper, tannins beginning to soften. Looks very promising for the future.
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11/6/2022 - grub94 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a young bottle. Needs a few more years. Deep purple color and big nose of dark red fruit with hints of black pepper with some savory spices. Palate showed a strong tannin and firm acids. Good depth of flavor but needs the tannins and acids to calm down, was 4 years for the next bottle.
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10/24/2022 - CWilliam wrote:
Dark red/black color. On nose, black cherry, blueberry, plum notes - palate similar. Medium+ body, medium acidity, low tannins and long finish. 91+/-
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10/20/2022 - noni15 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Day 1: 92 pts.
Day 2: 91 pts.
I should have waited a couple of more years to see more complexity an integration.
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10/2/2022 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another excellent Ridge wine, this one 72%Zinfandel, 18%PS, 8%Carignane, 2%Mataro. Ridge does a great job of blending other grapes with Zin to enhance the wine. blackberry, pepper, raspberry. Long finish and great mouthfeel.
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9/23/2022 - Novinophobia! wrote: 89 Points
Heavily malo’d. Lacks acidity and any bright fruit. Just okay
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9/4/2022 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
1 hour decant (mag decanter). Nose: Moss, wood and stone minerals abound with cassis and fresh mint underneath. Palate: Nice and peppery with a very dry component that tells you "this is old school Zin" (love it!). Linear acids and tannins give this a lazer-like focus that crescendos into a black pepper finish contrasted beautifully by the red fruited flavor profile. Absolutely fabulous and now I get why it commands the price it does. Bravo...and showing once again why Ridge is king of Zin!
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9/4/2022 - IvanLi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quality stuff here with black plums, earth, tobacco, spice and a characteristic Zin spice note on the nose. Quite succulent and sweet on the palate, rounded in that everything is in balance and nothing sticks too much, considerable finish.
Very good, actually, truly great expression of Zinfandel variety.
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8/30/2022 - malbrecht wrote: 90 Points
Primarily Zinfandel, with Petite Syrah, Carignane, and Mataro. Less juicy, brambly zin character than one might expect. But with some interesting secondary herbal and earthy notes. 14.5% ABV. Nice balance and structure.
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7/31/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty rough on night 1 as the new oak influence dominated everything. But night 3 this was thrilling. Bright red fruits with concentrated juicy palate and hints of spice and clove. Solid Zin. Wish less oak.
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7/28/2022 - Ulveström Likes this wine: 92 Points
Impressive stuff, complex nose with lots of going on, cassis, leather, licorice, tobacco and violet.
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7/13/2022 - domco wrote:
Tasty as usual but feels like lacking a little of the freshness I usually think of with this wine. Still very very good though.
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6/29/2022 - cmcleish Likes this wine:
Nice zin predominant wine. Buy more.
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6/21/2022 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Animal et terreux, borderline rustique.
Cuire, mures et boisé. Tannique et asséchant.
Finale longue et puissante.
Bien mais sera mieux avec le temps.
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6/8/2022 - DPetrone wrote: 85 Points
I am not sure about this wine. Still very tannic and rustic; too much red fruits and unbalanced . Will it improve ?
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5/20/2022 - TWriggins wrote: 90 Points
Delicious blend. Not overly dry great with pasta or pork
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4/16/2022 - stokeme wrote: 93 Points
This is everything a Zin should be, just delicious, even now. This will also definitely age & gain complexity buttressed by savory fruit. Hard not to appreciate this, no matter your individual proclivity. Outstanding. 2 of 5
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3/25/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hour double decant. Very deep purplish magenta color. Chipotle raspberry jelly on buttered toast and cherry cola on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate. Full tannins on the longish finish.
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3/19/2022 - JohannesGlugla Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. Very fruity, but with an incredible silky end of tanins. Very round and balanced.
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3/4/2022 - fc1910 Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first try of this one for a long time,
I can recall some positive memories, quite pricey over here in europe, more than 40€ a bottle the cheapest, in this case exactly 44€,
so I do really hope for an epiphany!
The next glance meets the label, uiuiuiui, 14,5% ABV, are we talking about bottled fruit jam?
So pnp, the truth is always in the bottle,
what a fine smell emerges right away, spice, mulberry, cranberry, cassis and more spice,
on the palate very fresh fruit appearance initially, same basket of juicy, not jammy black fruit intensively, spice, freshness, real great structure, I am enemored and really impressed!
My girl, sipping on a Champagne by the way, takes a long sip of this one too, meet her view, oooooooh, what a fine really great stuff,
paired with some iberico chops and pasta, what a fine dinner!
Think this is very , very young at this moment still, but so delicious already, enjoy or hold! **(**), An easy 93 for tonight,
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2/8/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Opened 3hrs prior to dinner. Finding it open & largely resolved decided to simply further slow ox in Riedel BDX & btl. Started sipping an hour prior to dinner & lovely! I love that the 72% Zin is augmented by a good mix of Petite Syrah, Mourvèdre & Carignan. All old vine from this legendary site. The cool blend offsets Zins tendency towards fruity jam stand alone and makes this so much more intriguing while cementing it's place as one of CAs most unique reds with an old-world feel. I first tasted this with dad back in '73, who was in a way, a pioneering small midwestern retailer back then to offer CA wines like Ridge, Mayacamas, Heitz, Hanzel and the like. Christians Brothers, Almaden & Paul Mason were ubiquitous back then. Ridge had the exact same geeky, data filled, label then. Yes this is big & powerful but so nuanced with inviting fruit but also a unique range of savory notes. Plenty of refreshing but no overbearing structure keeps this fresh and semi buoyant. Still some vanilla to resolve. I grabbed a '19 to try soon but I'm going back for more of these '18s if there's any left. I don't have a place in my cellar for most zins but I have plenty of room for an occasional Lyton Springs!
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2/6/2022 - CondorKhan wrote: 93 Points
Nose of violets and blueberries. Delicious, juicy, crunchy blueberry fruit on the palate. The acidity is beautifully counterbalanced by notes of dark chocolate and some creamy vanilla oak that is present but never overbearing. Medium body. Lovely fuzzy texture. Best Lytton Springs I've had in a while.
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2/3/2022 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully! Great, earthy nose. Subdued and light, but lovely and sophisticated. Not jammy. Delightfully complex with red berries, cocoa, lovely integrsted tannins. Very nice!
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1/29/2022 - grapenomad wrote: 92 Points
The best edition of Lytton Springs to date. Wonderful wine that I'd drink on a daily basis. Deep, brooding violet in the glass. Nose is abundant with black berry fruit, plums, vanilla, butter and dark chocolate. Full-on powerhouse on the palate, with loads of density. The tannins are firm, but do not play the main role here. The fruit concentration is the spotlight. Long, juicy finish with some sweet touch from the oak. Lovely wine.
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1/28/2022 - noni15 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day1 : 92 pts.
Day2 : 92 pts.
Notes as previous notes.
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1/26/2022 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose of raspberry and cocoa…
Palate is slightly thin but flavorful with raspberry, cherry, cocoa, and a balanced finish with tannins and acidity and minerality all in context..
Only negative impression is one of thinness on the mouth feel..
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1/17/2022 - CWilliam wrote:
Didn't take notes - drank very well and paired great with beef chilli. 91+
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1/11/2022 - brasstab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Everything it’s cracked up to be. Also, like crack. All the drinkability of zin, with a seductive petite sirah peppery layer. Love is love is love is Ridge.
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1/2/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A ripe red fruit note but then also an underripe cherry not to it as well.
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12/23/2021 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
tight and not particularly enjoyable on P/P; held to day 2/3 when it opened up with plenty of stuffing, black and blue fruit, earth, herb, je ne sais quoi, but still too 'young' and a bit burly for me at this point in time. Will hold my remaining bottle for at least a couple of years.
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12/12/2021 - au96alum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great for under $40. I am glad I have a few more to hold on to for a bit before drinking
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11/28/2021 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
14.5% abv. Med. dark ruby, strong aromatics. Ripe plum, red cherry and blue fruit. Excellent depth and length. Very well mannered and accessible now, with the potential for significant improvement. Very nice effort by the Ridge team!
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11/20/2021 - PghMike wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured.. Found this one to be a little tight on the nose and palate. Drinkable now but I bet it will be better in 2-5 years. Drank during a casual dinner and didn't take a detailed note. Decanting could be a good idea in the near term.
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10/21/2021 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
I expected this to be outstanding, and it was!
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10/20/2021 - Bob Bimon wrote: 90 Points
Vänta på nästa. Eken är inte riktigt min smak.
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10/18/2021 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 92 Points
one of my favorites from Ridge, not classified as a Zin as it has only 72% Zinfandel, along with 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, and 2% Mataro. Juicy blackberry, sweet oak, chocolate, pepper, black cherry. Wonderfully made and balanced. A great food wine.
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9/25/2021 - rye_44 wrote: 94 Points
Still young, but drinking beautifully in my opinion. Dark fruit, cinnamon, pepper, and oak. Wonderful balance and great acidity.
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9/24/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Not decanted. Bramble berry and blueberry fruit, sweet note of liquorice and other sweet spices, camomile tea. Balanced, rich and voluptuous palate. Highly hedonistic and another great vintage for this zin blend from Ridge. Reminds me more of the 2014 than the 2016.
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9/13/2021 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first Lytton Springs. Decanted but immediately poured a glass to see what we have here. A little shy on the nose, some perfume but not great. Initially a little tight but unwound in the glass and into the second. Fruit is evident but not at all jammy. Light tannins and medium finish. Very enjoyable now but assume it will only get better, so will do my best to lay off these for a while.
Day 2 Update: Perfume a little more prominent,maybe slightly longer on the finish. I liked better but wife liked on Day 1 better. No great changes either way.
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8/28/2021 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Although this is still young enough to show some oak, it's starting to integrate. This is excellent, and it's a bargain at under $40.
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8/25/2021 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum. This is a beautiful field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Mataro. Ridge has mad this bottling since’72.
Opaque violet with enticing dark fruit(blackberry, boysenberry) anise, mocha, and black pepper. In the palate it’s medium bodied and fresh with well integrated velvety tannins and flavor of plum, boysenberry, savory spice with a long savory finish. 14.5% abv
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8/22/2021 - catlady Likes this wine: 90 Points
Like that it's fairly low alcohol for a zin. Well rounded now, and still has time to develop.
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8/18/2021 - noni15 Likes this wine: 93 Points
More complexity and layering than my previous notes. It definitely will improve with some cellaring.
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8/8/2021 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stellar, classic vintage.
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8/3/2021 - Angies Husband Likes this wine: 92 Points
Berries, hint of spice. Nice fruit forward full body. Very well integrated with firm but fine tannins.
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8/2/2021 - WineTimeFineTime Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great nuance with this one - all the Zin highlights with few (if any) of the Zin excesses. Well-perfumed, nicely balanced despite the high alcohol, nice acid structure and a very pleasant, subtle but persistent finish. I'm not usually a Zin guy but I like this.
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7/25/2021 - cos65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolutely lovely.
Fairly deep ruby purple
Blueberries blackberry and a hint of wood
Rich, yet restrained.
While entirely approachable and enjoyable now, I think this would benefit from a few more years of integration
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7/21/2021 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
In a lineup of new world reds, this comes across as extremely balanced. Aromatics of blackberry, boysenberry, cedar and bay leaf. It has a little of the calling card wild candied fruit, but this is overall restrained. Just needs some years for the wood to fade and it will be great.
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7/15/2021 - SuperSomm wrote:
Medium ruby red colour. Pronounced nose with blueberry, black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, smoke and violet. Pronounced taste of blueberry black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, smoke, toast, licorice, black pepper and dried herbs. Long and dry finish. Medium acidity. Medium tannins. Full body. An outstanding Zinfandel based Californian red blend with great potential. Needed an hour of air to open. Drink over the next ten years. Goes well with beef, duck or pork.
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6/13/2021 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose: port-like and raisin.
Taste: subtle raisin, baked plum, cinnamon, vanilla, floral perfume. Tannic backbone but smooth. Nice long finish. Structured and interesting.
Not our style exactly, but a quality wine.
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6/13/2021 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Definitely give this young Zin some air and then enjoy. This was a delicious pairing with bone in pork chops on the deck in Dundee.
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6/5/2021 - asboans Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale to medium ruby colour. Jammy and fruity on the nose. Blackberry, oak, mushroom taste, medium acidity and medium plus tannins
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6/2/2021 - JCGuthrie wrote:
First bottle of a case. I gave it about three hours of air in the bottle, taking a small pour to create a little more air space. I didn't take any detailed notes, but I thought this showed well, albeit not quite at the level of the '18 Geyserville.
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5/31/2021 - amarasco Likes this wine: 95 Points
Paired well with Tri-Tip
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5/29/2021 - mark.gularte@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full and rich, notes of cherry and raspberry, stone fruits, vanilla, oak, tobacco, with forward tannins. Drinking nicely now, but could certainly site for a number of years.
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5/27/2021 - wtianseter wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was a huge disappointment. Elegant and supple but fruit was just muddy and flat. decanting did not help
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5/26/2021 - Barolo Raymond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cannot get enough of any Ridge wine. Intense dark fruit, chocolate, and licorice flavors balanced by beautiful bright acidity and supple tannins. great length with vanilla notes in finish.
Cellar potential 5-10 years with a lot of evolution ahead. Or drink now, monstrously enjoyable.
I have been enjoying Lytton Springs (and its siblings) for decades and it seems the price did not increase appreciably, and quality did. Well done Ridge!
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5/22/2021 - daveyk39 wrote: 90 Points
3.5h air. Ridge is becoming a favorite producer, they always seem to make things which are interesting and beyond the ordinary, this is no exception. Pale purple/ruby color. Offers blackberry, moss, white pepper, and violet. Big and mouth-filling, with fine-grained tannins adding necessary rigidity to the sweet and spicy palate: red and black fruit, pepper and some leather and licorice in the finish.
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5/22/2021 - bretrooks wrote:
Not decanted, two small pours consumed over ~45 minutes at cool room temp. Deep but restrained brambly black cherry fruit, but the oak is too prominent in this one for my tastes, overlaying the palate with notes of dark chocolate and, to a lesser degree, tobacco. It is well-balanced in its style and seems to have structure to last. I haven't had a large number of Ridge zins, but my impression is that I prefer them with age rather than in their youth before the oak has time to integrate.
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5/16/2021 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice but a bit underwhelming. Not a great qpr.
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5/15/2021 - mats13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best of the Zin lineup thus far. Still bright with this little age, but the cab lends a nice background waft of cassis and some depth. Will be doubtless better in several years. Decent qpr imo.
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5/10/2021 - catlady Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light, fairly low alcohol zin.
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5/9/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ridge's 2018 Lytton Springs (a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan and 2% Mourvèdre) can best be described as "luscious." This particular bottle was Vinturi-decanted and enjoyed over the ensuing three hours, fully opening after the first 90 minutes. Opaque crimson at this youthful stage, it is packed with dark bramble fruits, black cherries, anise, pipe tobacco, savory herbs and bittersweet chocolate. Full-bodied and with excellent freshness, it keeps its 14.5% alcohol in check, has just the right amount of creamy oak and layers the flavors with plentiful silky tannins. Dense on the mid-palate and lengthy on the back end, this wine's ripe fruit and soft textures make it so easy to drink! Enjoy it throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
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5/4/2021 - noni15 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1: 92 pts. A lot of cherry, red berries and with the right acidity to improve more , therefore, save for later. Medium body and not very long finish.
Day 2: 92 not much change.
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5/3/2021 - tjin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich nose of blackberry, mulberry, cinnamon, and cloves. Smooth palate with black primary fruit and notes of soft oak, graphite, and tobacco.
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4/25/2021 - Dale M wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. Classical dark fruit - this was delicious and seamless. I need to drink more Ridge wines.
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4/24/2021 - Lee Fining wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. Bright cherry nose. Light bodied, tart cherry and stone fruit flavors with floral notes.
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4/23/2021 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, blueberry, black pepper and sour cherry. Flavors of boysenberry, wild cherry, raspberry, hint of blueberry and white pepper. Ends with a 30-35 second finish with boysenberry and cherry notes. Packs a lot of flavors but a bit lighter on it's feet than most Zins.
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4/17/2021 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 93 Points
The best Ridge Zinfandel blend from my recent tastings. Possibly because it had the least zin of all the Ridge bottles I tried.
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4/17/2021 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine came very highly recommended and was a W.S. top 100. I actually preferred the Ridge Geyserville to this bottle. It was smooth, but not up to my expectations.
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4/16/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Yum. Firm, seamless. Black coffee, fine tannins. Excellent this is a winner, a great Lytton. Young, bursting.
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3/30/2021 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 3 hours. Color is deep red/purple. On the nose: blackberries and mixed red berries, a hint of vanilla. On the palate: Blackberries, baking spices, Mixed berry liquor. Very long. This is very good.
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3/29/2021 - Jakob Freudendahl wrote: 88 Points
I felt like this wine wasn't near as good as it came recommended. I think the palate is quite boring and even flat. The 14.5% ABV helps to cover up flaws in the wine, tried it again on day 2 and day 3 and no improvement. On day 3 the palate was fully flat and it was like a wooden spoon.
My recommendation would be to drink the whole bottle upon opening, and pairing it with food will help as well. With the alcohol content it will liven up any dinner party, but if you are in the mood to enjoy a glass, I would look elsewhere unfortunately.
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3/21/2021 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: 92-93 Palate: 90
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3/20/2021 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pepper, blackberries, tobacco and leather. lacked some complexity B+
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3/20/2021 - Alexander Smith wrote: 95 Points
This is as good as the critics say, probably one of the best Lytton Springs I have tasted, with more dark and bruised fruit, this shows velvety tannins with a rich and succulent mid palate the finish is long. This is young yet with so much potential this will be a joy to revisit over the next 20 years
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3/18/2021 - ras2006 Likes this wine: 88 Points
good, but a little heavy on tannin at this stage - will be interesting to try to second bottle some time in the future....
definitely better the 2nd day
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3/13/2021 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Followed a 2016 K Vintners Cattle King, and this Ridge blend more than held its own. Short decant, no big youthful structure to deal with. The flavors are a little angular but overall this is really nice. At this price point offers a huge platform of flavors and high-end texture. Will definitely buy more and see how it develops.
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3/13/2021 - WinesDelft Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful Zinfandel
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3/10/2021 - jh773 wrote: 92 Points
Red and black fruit, spice. Some tannin, firm body, elegant.
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3/9/2021 - Quaffable Likes this wine: 92 Points
Approachable now, very smooth
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2/28/2021 - MRichman wrote:
A very nice Lytton. Pretty, firm, feminine. Lovely. Drink or hold.
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2/27/2021 - IrvineCellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberry jam, plum, chocolate, baking spices, cinnamon nose. Full smooth mouthfeel, dry, high tannins with balanced acidity. Palate is red fruit like strawberry, jam, brown sugar, and a touch of pepper. Really nice. Astringent lingering finish. 93 pts
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2/26/2021 - Steve Simmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this 2018 after 24 hour double decant. Had as part of Sunfish cellars zoom tasting with Ridge general manager David Gates. Tasted side by side with 2012 and 2014 Lytton Springs.
72% Zin, 18%PS, 8% carignane. 14.5%
Garnet
Aromatic blackberry and raspberry
Off dry, medium body, bright and juicy, low tanins
Black fruit, blood orange, tangy raspberry
Very flavorful, not jammy, long finish.
14.5% is hardly noticable
Vertical tasting takeaways:
Surprised how nice the 2018 was this young. The 2018 actually had more fruit and less tannins than the 2014 (which was most muted of the 3). Now not afraid to open more of the 2018s early.
2012 was best integrated, and overall most pleasing/elegant package.
Had all 3 wines with beef bourguignon (recipe/pairing recomendation from Ridge website). Which was both a fantastic pairing and recipe.
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2/21/2021 - rkww Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ridge Lytton Springs Tasting: My favorite among the three 2018 zinfandels we sampled, the Lytton Springs was dry, acidic, not at all sweet, and clearly built for aging. Cherry, cracked pepper, flowers, and menthol are all present now, but I think they'll really start showing in another 5 years or so as the tannins settle down.
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2/21/2021 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Really messy when opened. 2nd day much, much better.
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2/21/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent w other Lytton Springs that I’ve had -> fruit driven, and the petite sirah cones through leading to a more intense profile. I prefer the Geyserville but this is also a good one and I’ll probably get another bottle or two for aging.
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2/13/2021 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young, tight, but already a good quaff. Better things to come . . .
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2/13/2021 - CubFan4Life Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great effort from Ridge
Color: Ruby
Nose: cinnamon, red cherry, leather, spice
Palate: some tannins, but integrated despite being young, dark fruit
Finish: medium
Not as good as Ridge Geyserville, but certainly delightful.
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2/11/2021 - MattB72 wrote: 92 Points
So young, but wanted to try. Save 1/2 for the second night. Really good!
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2/6/2021 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light-Medium bodied. Red fruits--cherry, cranberry. Very nice pairing with lamb chops.
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2/4/2021 - mayfield wrote: 88 Points
I miss Paul Draper. He would've gone a little lighter on the American oak in this vintage. It will still be good in time.
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1/29/2021 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted one hour before tasting, and then drank over next five hours. Translucent bright ruby colored. Juicy dark cherry/cranberry nose along with some cigar. Medium-plus body with medium-plus tannins and medium acid. Initial taste yielded strong graphite flavors over some cherries. The graphite continued with spiciness through mid-palate and finish. With air the fruits kept getting darker, first blackberry syrup, then plums. Around the six hour mark this started to really open up with mouth-coating tannins, dark cherries, and still the prominent graphite. Think this could be really good in a few years, 89+
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1/23/2021 - cos65 Likes this wine:
This is quite gorgeous
Medium ruby purple
Tons of bright blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry fruit along with rose, orange. Bright acidity and a fine structured tannins. This perennial favorite has hit even higher heights this year.
Simply outstanding
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1/8/2021 - JohnRachelWine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Color: pale purple
Nose: very fruity - cherry, blueberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco
Palette: stewed red fruit, stemmy,
Mouthfeel: soft, flabby but ends with a nice grippy finish
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12/31/2020 - HorstPeak Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young, will wait it out, open in 5 years, however loved it
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12/24/2020 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
Very tight on opening with the acid prominent, needed a good 90 minutes of air to open up. Full of black fruit, good weight and richness to the fruit, lots of acid, oak more subtly in the background than young Ridge zins can show. Delicious and showing well with air, with the fruit mostly burying the fine tannins.
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12/22/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Opened in bottle for 4-5 hours. Actually more approachable/juicy in the first 2 hours and closing off near the end. Raspberry, black cherry, clove, anise, oak and mineral. Really nice stuff with good depth but just not something I crave often given the sweetness. Likely better in a few years.
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12/19/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
From half bottle this immediately shows its breeding. The suave berry fruit, and precise frame speak to the vineyard and the producer. It’s clearly a Ridge wine, and the flavor carries on forever. I wish I had opened a full bottle. In comparison to the 2018 Pagani Ranch, which I opened the other day, this has more richness, and so more early appeal. That said, there’s no question that it can go the distance the way Lytton always does.
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12/16/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Big ripe forward Zinberry fruits. Jumps up. Much more fruit forward than the Geyserville is. Hints of new Am oak. Not showing a lot of extraction. Winemaker notes on the bottle seem to concur. That leaves the palate feeling somewhat more structured than you would have expected by the smell. Medium light tannin over a solid acidic spine. This came off a bit more out of balance on night one. Night two saw the more balanced version. There is a bit of warmth. Where the Geyserville seemed like an Old World wine of indeterminate origin, the '18 Lytton S is clearly a classic CA Zin. Given the ripeness I think the PS and Carignan are lending a lot of the structure. My only pause on extended aging is the relatively high ABV. But overall a strong CA Zin blend. I'd let this rest another year or two before digging in if you can wait to let that oak integrate a bit better and for it to relax onto it's bones a bit more. Of course this should age longer than that without a second thought.
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12/13/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 90 Points
More potential here....
Give it a couple years to meld together better
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12/1/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 88 Points
Young, and a bit rough right now. I like the wine’s well-judged balance (this is Ridge after all) and firm structure, but the fruit runs a bit hot and the oak has not integrated yet. Give it time.
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11/28/2020 - Tym4wine wrote: 85 Points
Some floral aromas, but largely muted. Some blackberry flavors, seems muddled. Good acidity but lacks structure and appears linear. Seems flabby and relatively uninteresting. Light tannins, short finish.
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11/27/2020 - npettit wrote: 90 Points
Seems a little young still. Going to give it another year or so.
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11/26/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Kinda all over the place right now - some dark fruit but then some high toned (maybe underipe) fruit. I think its all there and will be amazing. But hold off for now.
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11/21/2020 - catowne1 wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Incredibly fresh and vibrant at the moment. Clearly a very young wine. Enjoyed over 2 hours and it only got better. Anxious to see what 5-10 years will do to this stellar wine.
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11/20/2020 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Solbær og solbærblad på duft; varm, men ikke søtlig. Mer sødme i munnen, deilig frukt, men fint balansert av tanniner og litt syre som løfter vinen mange hakk. Kraftige og smaksrike saker, men på en elegant måte, uten for mye fat eller ekstraksjon. Lang. Deilig vin!
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11/15/2020 - wmccone54 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and enjoyed with a smoked pork shoulder. Youthful, but approachable, with juicy flavors, and a smooth mouthfeel. Red and blue fruits: cherry, blueberry, raspberry, green herbs, black tea, coconut oil, and moist black earth. Components not quite completely integrated, tannin and acids still looking for harmony. Medium plus finish. Can drink now,but additional cellaring will support further development. Drink through 2028.
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11/13/2020 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank this after the ‘13 Lytton Springs. Really fun comparison between young and mature. Fruit exploded out of the glass. Pick which berry you want to say this smells/tastes like, they’re all there. A really pleasant and fun wine to drink and will be interesting to see where this goes over the next few years.
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11/12/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really young, American oak notes resolved after a couple hours air. Darker fruited, suave tannins and smooth palate. A bit of spice adds complexity. Spicy oak notes notable on the nose. Still needs some time to come together but the potential seems to be there. Tannins a bit austere on the backend.
better on night 2. Tannins softened and oak notes more in check. Berry driven fruit with some night spice (briary) highlights. Petite syrah definite add some body and structure. Definitely given this some air if drinking now. Plenty of upside
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11/12/2020 - rlesher wrote: 92 Points
Nice Zin forward blend. Drinks well with spicy foods or alone.
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11/10/2020 - viniferatu Likes this wine:
Awesome version of this. Black fruits dominate. Black cherry, elderberry, black plum, a little blackberry... mostly fresh, but there is certainly some jammy and dried fruit character. Bright high notes of blood orange flit about too. Lavender, incense, coconut, clove, vanilla, licorice.... a little sage and roasted meat... there's a beautiful interplay of American oak spice and ripe wine grape spice. Fresh and firm, this wine always has some serious tannin and acid, but it cuts and grips a bit more in 2018. Full and velvety, long and tangy, with great fruit intensity through the mid-palate, and lots of tannin and spice on the finish. A bit austere for a Zin blend, it is nonetheless a joy to drink. I would save it for 5 to 10 before trying again. It'll keep for 20 in a good cellar, quite possibly much longer. This stuff rules. Yumyumyum
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11/6/2020 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Aromas of boysenberry, cherry, blueberry, white pepper and raspberry. Flavors of blueberry, cherry, raspberry, pepper and boysenberry. Ends with a long finish of 40 seconds with blueberry notes. Still a bit tight but no denying the quality.
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11/2/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark garnet in color, essentially opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with briary overtones, spices, dried herbs, dark cocoa, pepper, minerals & a hint of vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plummy/jammy, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & blueberries with spices, herbs, minerals, cocoa & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but has the fruit & structure to continue development with additional more years of aging if cellared properly. A blend of 72% Zinfandel. 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane & 2% Mataro (Mourvdre); Alc. at 14.5%. A more forward Lytton Springs than from years past.
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10/31/2020 - walla_wallou Likes this wine: 90 Points
Un peu plus léger que je m’attendais, floral et un peu bonbon, mais un beau vin.
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10/16/2020 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for two hours. This is definitely young and unformed, but there is no denying the quality here. So much depth of plumy fruit and spice. Mouth filling, layered and long. This will certainly age well.
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10/11/2020 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
Opened out of curiosity as I have several of these saved for later. Consumed over 3 nights. Too much oak and acid at this point, although things improved with 24 hours of air. Still enjoyable, but too young. I much prefer the 2018 Paso Robles Zin at this point for the better fruit profile. Expect that this will more than catch up over the next few years.
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10/5/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Kinda unresolved and a bit grapey right now, even at 14.5%, kinda want it bigger so maybe I'm just looking at time needed. The stuffing is there.
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10/4/2020 - niacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red fruit, plum, licorice, floral notes on the nose. Still very young but the potential is there, improved over time. Good acidity and balance. Long silky finish.
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9/18/2020 - SmilingGeorge Likes this wine:
Young.
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