2008 Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Even better is the 2008 Ridge Lytton Springs. A blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignane, the wine is dense and structured, with load of minerality that’s balanced by earthy dark fruits, smoke, and subtle pepper on the nose. Very pure and focused on the nose, the palate follows suit with medium+ body, good acidity, beautiful fruit, and an overall, edgy and structured personality. The fruit keeps this enjoyable now, but I think this will age very well. I’d give bottles 2-4 years in the cellar, and then drink over the following decade or more.

Saturated ruby. Dark berries, cherry, sassafras and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with an intense vanilla quality and a hint of dried violet. Opulent, palate-coating blackberry and mulberry flavors show a spicy, oaky quality, with gentle acidity providing lift. Dusty tannins add grip to the vanilla-tinged finish, which clings impressively. I have no doubt that this wine will absorb its oak with a few years or so of bottle age.

Striking, intense black cherry and blackberry fruit with some spice and earth jump from the glass of the 2008 Lytton Springs, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignan. Dark ruby with a nice tannic overlay, the wine was aged 15 months in American oak. Spicy, impressively rich, with good acids and loads of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 5-7 years. Tel. (408) 867-3233; Fax (408) 868-1350