Handy half bottle size (37.5 cl) from one of our premiere California producers.

2018 Assemblage: 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mataro.

"Blackberry, pepper and licorice notes on nose. Full-bodied with ripe plum, well integrated tannins and long, lingering finish." John Olney, Chief Winemaker at Ridge Vineyards.

In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century, and purchased both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under 'Captain' William Litton's ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved into 'Lytton' by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to Zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.

Lytton Springs has become synonymous with classic Dry Creek Zinfandel. It shows potent, ripe boysenberry and blackberry, but also a pronounced rusticity and earthiness often attributed to its blending varietals; petite sirah and carignane. Acid and tannin are firm, yet not overwhelming; in youth, at least, fruit predominates. This balanced, powerful wine becomes more nuanced with age, and it often holds for more than a decade.

"The 2018 Lytton Springs is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro. The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It’s stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar.
Drink 2020 - 2035."
96 points.
Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate, (February 2021)