2006 Ridge, Zinfandel, Lytton Estate, Dry Creek Valley.
Since my day job and life sees me tasting wines from around the world, and there is a seriousness and sometimes pressure, so it’s nice just to kick-back and pop a cork on a bottle I just purchased to enjoy, and during some down time I found this 2006 Ridge Lytton Estate, a extremely pleasurable and hedonistic wine. I had tasted this at the tasting room at Lytton Springs in Dry Creek, and thought it was very fun, so I took a few home and just opened the last one last (November 22, 2013) and at 7 years old it is really coming into it’s own and has become glorious in character with Zinfandel charms, but also with almost a Bordeaux like feel, it is always interesting to see how Zins age when the fruity nature starts to fade and secondary flavors emerge. Ridge is such a wonderful expression of California, and this wine which is 84% Zinfandel and 16% Petite Sirah coming from some of the oldest vines on the Lytton Estate, some of which are over a hundred years old. The 2006 vintage wasn’t a great vintage, but they are showing much better at this stage, in fact I was really surprised, this wine is drinking fantastic, way better than expected, wine is so much a mystery, I happily quaffed this lovely red. The nose has matured with subtle perfume, dried flowers, tea notes and cassis start you off, leading to a full bodied palate of poached plum, black raspberry, currant and boysenberry along with cedarwood, briar spiciness and hints of kirsch, mineral and truffle. This dark and rich Californian classic has touches of loamy earth, subtle wood, pencil lead and refined tannin, which are certainly more of what you’d find in a claret, especially as the main fruits have toned down at this stage, this is pretty and complex Zin that still remains faithful and pure to it’s home, it is joyous now, drink 2013 through 2021.
($36 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
