2021 Lytton Estate Syrah

Black pepper, violets, blueberry, dusty cocoa, hickory smoked bacon and layers of minerality on the nose followed by juicy blackberry, black tea, anise and well-coated tannins which provide a velvety mouthfeel. SR (2/23)

The block planted to the historic California clone ‘syrah noir’ is the oldest and heartiest syrah at Lytton West. Destemmed whole berries were fermented with viognier from an adjoining parcel to enhance aroma, mitigate tannin and stabilize color. After eighteen months in barrel, this beautiful wine has softened and is enjoyable now. It will continue to develop over the next ten years. SR (3/23)

At Lytton Springs West, Ridge has just over three acres of twenty-six-year-old Syrah Noir, the California selection from plantings in 1916. This parcel is situated in the well-drained Sites soil on the bench overlooking Norton Creek. Since 1996, we have produced limited amounts of syrah for the Advance Tasting Program (ATP). Over time, the consistent quality showed syrah to be well matched to the climate and soil of Lytton Estate.

Rainfall: 14 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limited yields and concentrating flavors.

Harvest Dates: 1 – 30 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.2˚
TA: 6.69 g/L
pH: 3.76
Fermentation: 100% whole-berry, destemmed, not crushed, fermented in open-top tanks on indigenous yeast; pressed after seven days; natural malolactic.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (23% new, 26% three years old, 12% four years old, and 39% five-plus years old).
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested, organically grown grapes; destemmed and whole-berry-fermented on the native yeasts in open top tanks; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur (35 ppm at crush, 72 ppm during 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.