Ridge Lytton Springs 2018 Red Blend Wine 750ml

Winemaker Notes

Blackberry, pepper and licirioce notes on the nose. Full-bodies with ripe plum, well integrated tannins and long, lingering finish.

Blend: 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mataro

Critical Acclaim

WW 96 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Ridge Lytton Springs, formerly called Lytton Springs Zinfandel, was one of the first wines that propelled me into becoming an extreme wine researcher. I tasted the 1972 vintage at The Wine amp; Cheese Shop on Union Street in San Francisco. For weeks after that initial tasting, the aromas and flavors stayed memorable. I still recalled that moment as I savored the 2018 vintage, which has now eclipsed that moment in the mid-1970s. TASTING NOTES: This wine is nothing short of remarkable. Its aromas and flavors of ripe raspberries scream, “Dry Creek Valley.” Enjoy it with a mildly-spiced, oven-roasted Porchetta. (Tasted: September 17, 2020, San Francisco, CA)

RP 96 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2018 Lytton Springs is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro. The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It’s stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar.

WE 94 Wine Enthusiast
This well-balanced 72% Zinfandel blend is a classic. Concentrated in flavor and firm in structure, it is also silky in texture and so easy to sip and swallow. The nose is packed with hints of charcoal, black fruits and black pepper, while the palate boasts plump blackberry and tangy raspberry shaded by salt and pepper notes. Best from 2024.

Cellar Selection

JD 92 Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, and the rest Mourvèdre, the 2018 Lytton Springs has a more nuanced, complex style that builds nicely with time in the glass. Red plums, mulberries, flowery incense, cedar, and a kiss of chocolate all define the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture (which is the hallmark of this vintage), and ample chalky minerality on the finish. It’s going to benefit from a year or three of bottle age and shine for over a decade. I’ve had this cuvée with 20+ years of bottle age and it ages surprisingly well.