2008 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Zinfandel

93 points Robert Parker: "Striking, intense black cherry and blackberry fruit with some spice and earth jump from the glass...Dark ruby with a nice tannic overlay, the wine was aged 15 months in American oak. Spicy, impressively rich, with good acids and loads of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 5-7 years." 93 points and two stars from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "Ripe, but not overly so, and carefully crafted with a certain claret-like polish that is the Ridge signature, this year's Lytton Springs bottling is a deep, very well-focused wine that keys on varietal berries with complexing notes of dusty and dry spice lending a little more range than everyday Zinfandel gets. It is nicely balanced with a fine spine of tannins for grip but maintains its sense of finesse and composure right to the end, and, if not so astringent that it cannot be enjoyed now, it is built to get better for several years and will hold for many more." 92 points Stephen Tanzer's IWC: "Saturated ruby. Dark berries, cherry, sassafras and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with an intense vanilla quality and a hint of dried violet. Opulent, palate-coating blackberry and mulberry flavors show a spicy, oaky quality, with gentle acidity providing lift. Dusty tannins add grip to the vanilla-tinged finish, which clings impressively. I have no doubt that this wine will absorb its oak with a few years or so of bottle age."