2020 Lytton Springs

Rich blackberry and plum on the nose with notes of aniseed. Full-bodied with dark bramble fruit and well-coated tannins on the palate. The long finish reveals layers of black licorice and dried sage. MB (4/22)

Plentiful rain in early November and December subsided by January. Late spring rains during flowering reduced fruit set across all varieties, especially petite sirah. Thirty-eight blocks were picked at ideal ripeness over four weeks from August to September. Of these, twenty-six were selected for their rich black fruit and perfectly balanced structure. This classic Lytton Springs will be enjoyable over the next ten years. JO (11/21)

In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century. Both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard were purchased in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under “Captain” William Litton’s ownership, the two were part of one property; the spelling evolved to “Lytton” by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varieties.

Rainfall: 21 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Late-May
Weather: Rains in March and April helped the vines get through the summer.

Harvest Dates: 21 August – 17 September
Grapes: Average Brix 25.1˚
TA: 5.97 g/L
pH: 3.74
Fermentation: Full crush; 100% natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 15% one year-old, 20% two years-old, 20% three years-old, 15% four years-old, and 15% five years-old).
Aging: Thirteen 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; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 72 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.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.