2019 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah

Rich plum, fig, and dark chocolate on the nose. Deep opaque purple in color. Full-bodied on the palate with well-coated tannins, ripe bramble fruit, and hints of baking spices and fresh tarragon. Long mineral finish with well-balanced acidity. MB (6/22)

Petite sirah is a close relative to syrah. Like syrah, it is a dark colored grape that yields wines with floral aromas, deep color and full, rich tannins. To moderate tannins, we fermented the grapes destemmed, as whole berries. Aging in twenty-five percent new oak over sixteen months has softened the wine. Built to age, it will be enjoyable for the next twelve to fifteen years. JO (3/21)

Rains in April and May helped the vines get through the summer.

Fermentation: Whole berry fermentation. Natural primary and secondary; limited pump-overs to once daily; pressed at tens days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (25% new, 20% one year-old, 15% two years-old, 15% three years-old, 15% four years-old, and 10% five years-old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested; estate-grown organic grapes; destemmed, whole berry 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; 73 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.