2018 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
SKU #1494480
96 points
Vinous
The 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent. Elegant, layered and so complete, the 2018 has a lot to offer, but it needs time to fully come together. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and rose petal open up in the glass. Bright acids and beams of tannin give the wine its vibrant energy. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. Wow! (AG)
(9/2020)
92 points
Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, and the rest Mourvèdre, the 2018 Lytton Springs has a more nuanced, complex style that builds nicely with time in the glass. Red plums, mulberries, flowery incense, cedar, and a kiss of chocolate all define the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture (which is the hallmark of this vintage), and ample chalky minerality on the finish. It's going to benefit from a year or three of bottle age and shine for over a decade. I've had this cuvée with 20+ years of bottle age and it ages surprisingly well.
(8/2020)
K&L Notes
An icon from Ridge, Lytton Springs is synonymous with Ridge, and one of their most loved and longest-running wines—first released with the 1972 vintage. The 2018 has incredible purity and poise. The old vine intensity of fruit is coiled and polished into a very focused wine with obvious aging potential, precise balance, and poise. Put this in your cellar while you drink the Pagani. 2018 Lytton is a 20-plus-year wine, for sure. (Ryan Woodhouse K&L Wines Domestic Wine Buyer) Blend: 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mataro. Hand-harvested and sustainably grown.