1999 Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Springs
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In the context of this vertical, the 1999 Lytton Springs represents a distinct shift in style from earlier vintages and shows more Brettanomyces character. New winemaker Shauna Rosenblum notes that because fermentations are not inoculated and the wines are not sterile-filtered, "Brettanomyces can be part of the native culture.” However, longtime winemaker John Olney also notes that 2003 was the first vintage of Lytton Springs crafted entirely in Sonoma County. Before that, the wine was crafted at the old Monte Bello winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Olney recalls 1999 as “a nail-biter like 2011 and 2023.” A cool summer led to a very late harvest. “The wine has a lot of acidity,” Olney says. “To me, it doesn’t taste like a 25-year-old wine, and it’s been in this space for about 10 years. When these wines get on a plateau, they tend to stay there a long time.” Vibrant garnet in color, the 1999 Lytton Springs is a blend of 70% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignane and 3% Mataro. It maintains kirsch aromas on the nose and unfurls mature wafts of saddle leather, old tobacco, mossy bark and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate is soft and supple with rounded acidity, a surprisingly deep core of red cherry fruit and a long, pleasantly tertiary finish.
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Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
Altre recensioni e punteggi
A blend of 70% Zinfandel ‘and mixed blacks’, 17% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignan and 3% Mataro. Tasted from magnum. Dark ruby with orange highlights at the rim. Smells of dried herbs, smoked meats, sour cherry and earth. Flavours of chopped fresh herbs mix with blackberry, roasted fig and liquorice root as powdery tannins coat the mouth and great acidity keeps things extremely fresh, even minty cool, in the mouth. Notes of green herbs and sawdust linger in the finish. (AY)
Nice balance of age and freshness to the aromatics – a lovely perfume with an underlying savoury beef reduction. Dark fruits and tobacco accents move through the palate with plenty of tannins, though fine-grained and lengthy. (ECB)
The 1999 Lytton Springs (mostly Zinfandel) is still going strong, offering up lots of spice and truffle notes as well as sweet tobacco and plums. Still vibrant and pure on the palate, with no signs of cracking, it shines for its beautiful complexity and length. It’s certainly drinking at point.
Informazioni sul produttore
Best known for its iconic Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards makes some of California’s finest wines – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Long a pioneer of sustainable farming and minimal-intervention winemaking, Ridge makes an extensive range from Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains.