October 2024
This fall, we release the 2022 vintage of Lytton Springs, which marks 50 years since our first bottling in 1972. To kick off the celebration, we invited a group of journalists and sommeliers to the winery to taste vintages of Lytton Springs dating back to 1974.
Tim Fish, who has been with Wine Spectator since 2001, attended this event and shared his thoughts in the October issue of Wine Spectator Magazine, noting “such opportunities are not to be missed.” Read his impression of the wines poured below.
When I moved to Sonoma County in 1989, Zinfandel was my go-to red. I was a young, underpaid newspaper reporter and I loved the value, and authenticity, of Zin. I’m still a devoted drinker today. When Ridge winemaker John Olney gathered a group to taste a selection of older Lytton Springs bottlings, I couldn’t miss it.
The occasion was the 50th anniversary of Ridge’s Lytton Springs wine. The first vintage was 1972, and the 2022 is set for release this fall. Sadly, the 1972 is long gone, but the 1974 was fully mature yet more youthful than I expected. The color was brickish and cherry fruit shined through, with lots of spice and tobacco notes. The tannins were mellow but it retained structure and fresh acidity. I rated it 96 points, nonblind. The 1984 was even more surprising. It was silky in texture and retained a burst of succulent fruit at the core. I gave it 98 points. Who says Zins can’t age?
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