2019 Ridge Lytton Springs

Appealing nose of pepper, and raspberry. Layered plum, blackberry and cocoa on the palate with chalky tannins and a lingering finish. JO (1/21)

After a short harvest the prior year, the vines rebounded with a full crop. Moderate summer temperatures allowed for slow ripening. We waited until mid-September to pick to ensure all varieties were ready. After malolactic, twenty-four blocks were combined, including two pure petite sirah blocks, to add structure to the abundant zinfandel fruit. Enjoyable young, this outstanding wine will gain in complexity over ten to fifteen years.

Total rainfall for the season was almost double our usual amounts. The vines responded with bountiful yields of great quality.

Fermentation: Full crush; 100% Natural primary and secondary; pressed at eleven days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 15% one year-old, 20% two year-old, 20% three year-old, 15% four year-old and 15% five year-old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested, sustainably grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; tartaric acid; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 61 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.