2023 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah

Inky dark purple in color. Nose of blueberry, black pepper, cocoa, tobacco leaf and black currant. Full-bodied with blackberry, plum and mineral notes. Firm structure, well-coated tannins and a long finish. SR (1/26)

A cold, rainy February pushed back bud break by four weeks. Harvest was equally late, and by October 13th, the hillside blocks of dark, tightly packed clusters were ready to be picked. Seven days later the lower blocks were ready. Small berries contributed to a wine with rich, dark fruit flavors, balanced acidity and firm tannins. This fine wine will develop over the next ten years. SR (3/25)

The oldest petite sirah vines on our Lytton Estate were planted in 1901, and the youngest in 2008. We made our first wine from the property in 1972. In 2002, we began bottling portions of the petite sirah as a separate wine for a limited release; up until then, it had always been included in the Lytton Springs Zinfandel. In 2003, we made another limited release, and in 2009 our first national release.

Rainfall: 64 inches (above average)
Bloom: End of June
Weather: Late and prolonged harvest due to consistently cool weather throughout the growing season.

Harvest Dates: 13 – 20 October
Grapes: Average Brix 23.3˚
TA: 5.59 g/L
pH: 3.78
Fermentation: Whole berry fermentation. Natural primary and secondary; limited pump-overs to once daily.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (20% new, 5% one year old, 12% three years old, 22% four years old, and 41% five-plus years old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested; organic, estate-grown grapes; destemmed, whole berry 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; 95 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.

Vinous Media: 96 Points “The 2023 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate is exceptional. Shockingly approachable and expressive in spite of its powerful concentration, the 2023 lifts from the glass, vibrating with gorgeous purple florals, wild blueberry, lavender, blood orange and a brooding undercurrent of game and mineral undertones. Ultra-fine white-pepper-like tannins dust the finish, wrapping things up in supremely fine style. I’ve never tasted a young Lytton Petite that’s this yielding. This is a truly special wine.” -Billy Norris (January 2026)

OwenBargreen.com: 94 Points “Inky in the glass, the 2024 Ridge ‘Lytton Estate’ Petite Sirah offers rich huckleberry and graphite tones on the palate, with dark chocolate shavings. Full-bodied and also very finesse-driven, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2026-2039.” -Owen Bargreen (March 2026)

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