Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Winemaker tasting notes deep purple color. Appealing aromas of black pepper cassis and licorice. Layered plum blackberry fruit on the palate; medium/full-bodied with silky tannins. Notes of chapparal and mocha on the finish. Vintage notes april rains disrupted flowering and reduced yields but gave the vines enough water to survive a third year of drought. Mild temperatures in august proved ideal for ripening. The thirty-four parcels were fermented separately; we combined the twenty-five that best expressed the vineyard’s distinctive character. Thirteen months in barrel has softened tannins and added complexity. Enjoyable in its youth this fine wine will evolve over the next ten years. 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