Wine Article
2021 Ridge Lytton Springs
Last edited on 10/13/2023 by ancientvines
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From the Ridge Website:
Wine Information
72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut, 1% Counoise
94 Points – Zinfandel Chronicles
93 Points – Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com
Vintage
2021
Vineyard
Lytton Springs
Appellation
Dry Creek Valley
Alcohol By Volume
14.3%
Winemaker Tasting Notes
Nose of red and black raspberry, white pepper, fennel, sage, dark chocolate and sarsaparilla. Full bodied with notes of blackberry and ripe plum; juicy acidity, excellent midpalate weight and a lengthy finish. SR (11/22)
Vintage Notes
A dry winter left the vines struggling to find water. This reduced fruit set in all varietals, especially zinfandel. Thirty-eight parcels were harvested from September first to October fifth and fermented separately. Thirty-four were selected, including vines planted in 1901 and eighty-year-old counoise inter-planted with cinsaut. Enjoyable now, this beautiful, complex wine will continue to develop over the next ten years and beyond. SR (11/22)
History
In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century. Both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard were purchased in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under “Captain” William Litton’s ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved to “Lytton” by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.
Growing Season
Rainfall: 14 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.
Winemaking
Harvest Dates: 1 September – 5 October
Grapes: Average Brix 24.7˚
TA: 5.90 g/L
pH: 3.58
Fermentation: Full crush; 100 natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (17% new, 3% one year old, 10% two years old, 10% there years old and 65% three and four years old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel
Hand-harvested, organically grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 65.3 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.
Wine Information
72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut, 1% Counoise
94 Points – Zinfandel Chronicles
93 Points – Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com
Vintage
2021
Vineyard
Lytton Springs
Appellation
Dry Creek Valley
Alcohol By Volume
14.3%
Winemaker Tasting Notes
Nose of red and black raspberry, white pepper, fennel, sage, dark chocolate and sarsaparilla. Full bodied with notes of blackberry and ripe plum; juicy acidity, excellent midpalate weight and a lengthy finish. SR (11/22)
Vintage Notes
A dry winter left the vines struggling to find water. This reduced fruit set in all varietals, especially zinfandel. Thirty-eight parcels were harvested from September first to October fifth and fermented separately. Thirty-four were selected, including vines planted in 1901 and eighty-year-old counoise inter-planted with cinsaut. Enjoyable now, this beautiful, complex wine will continue to develop over the next ten years and beyond. SR (11/22)
History
In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century. Both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard were purchased in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under “Captain” William Litton’s ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved to “Lytton” by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.
Growing Season
Rainfall: 14 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.
Winemaking
Harvest Dates: 1 September – 5 October
Grapes: Average Brix 24.7˚
TA: 5.90 g/L
pH: 3.58
Fermentation: Full crush; 100 natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (17% new, 3% one year old, 10% two years old, 10% there years old and 65% three and four years old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel
Hand-harvested, organically grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 65.3 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.