The way some people talk about Zinfandel in California reminds me of how people talk about Icewine in Ontario. We do it well, people know us for it … but please come take a look at all these other Chardonnays and Cab Francs we are making… forget about the sweet stuff. This is most definitely not the case at the Lytton Springs production facility for Ridge Vineyards. As with Chateau Montelena, Ridge were one of the participants of the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris. In 2006 there was a retaste of the wines from the original competition to celebrate the 30th anniversary. The Ridge 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon took first place.
Michael Bairdsmith is the assistant winemaker and gave me a tour of the impressive vineyards and production facility at Ridge. Many of the old vineyards in Sonoma are planted as “mixed blacks”, what this means is that when the vines were planted there wasn’t much attention paid to what varietals were being put into the ground. The idea is that even in a vintage where one varietal may not be at it’s best there is another type of grape to help round out the blend. The 2012 Lytton Springs Zinfandel blend has Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro (Mourvedre). Many of the vines are over 100 years old and over the years the staff have painstakingly identified each varietal that is growing on the property. What is fascinating, is that even though they keep track of each varietal individually the final blends for the wines made at Lytton Springs are done blind. The winemaking team has no idea what varietals are making it into the final blend until the wine is balanced and delicious.
Obviously I had to ask about the effect the drought in California while I was at this winery. The sentiment seems to be that winemakers are pretty happy with the effects so far. The fruit coming off the vines is high quality and super concentrated. However, four years in the vines are starting to show the effects of the stress from the lack of water. The fruit is almost perfect but there is a lot less of it. The wineries with old vines are lucky because the deep reaching root system is designed for this kind of stress. For 2015 the Sonoma valley has seen about 75% of their regular rainfall.
2013 Estate Chardonnay – $50.00 USD – ****+ – This is your typical big bold Californian Chardonnay. The nose is roasted pineapple with vanilla and butterscotch. This is just powerful from the beginning and the sort of Chardonnay that I would never want to pair with food because I want to enjoy every level of flavour in the wine. While big and bold with lots of very ripe Pineapple and Peach flavours this wine has very nice balance between fruit and barrel flavours and a nice soft acidity that lets the finish linger. For me this would be your appetizer or your dessert to a meal but serve it alone and just a few degrees below room temperature.
2013 Geyserville (73% Zinfandel/17% Carignane/9% Petite Sirah/1% Mataro/Mourvedre) – $38.00 USD – ****+ – This is a very nice Zinfandel driven blend with Blueberry and soft Campfire aromas coming out of the glass. The other mixed blacks help round out the Zinfandel and give it a little depth. This wine is both intense and elegant at the same time with Blueberry and Blackberry being your fruit but there are also hints of spice, chocolate and smoke on the finish. This is a solid wine to pair with barbeque whether it’s the propane kind of the smoked brisket kind.
2012 Lytton Springs (70% Zinfandel/21% Petite Sirah/6% Carignane/3% Mataro/Mourvedre) – $38.00 USD – ****1/2 – Upon review of my notes I made when tasting this my initial impression was fairly speechless … “Good… Just Very Good” is what I have written down. The tannin is medium firm so this will age another 7-10 years. However, being well priced at only $38.00 you can definitely open this up with a good steak or prime rib roast. The nose is blueberry and raisin with hints of smoke. The fruit is a little heavier and darker in the Lytton Springs compared to the Geyserville. The flavours are Blueberry, Blackberry and Raisin with Cocoa and Smoke on the finish.
2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – $50.00 USD – ****1/2 – This is a near perfect Cab Sauv. This makes it’s way into vintages usually around the eighty dollar mark … and it would still be worth checking out. For those of you who have been reading my reviews for awhile will know that I don’t like to part with my money … especially when wine gets north of the thirty dollar mark so take my word for it on this one. The nose is Cedar and Pencil Shaving. When you finally take your first sip you will be greeted with Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry and Plum with beautifully balanced acidity and firm tannin. If you buy one of these to open right now please decant for an hour (or two) before enjoying. This should age gracefully for 10-15 years but should be very approachable after three if you’re as impatient as I am.
2011 Monte Bello – $165.00 USD – ****+ – This will raise your eyebrow when you take your first sniff from the glass. This has the Cedar on the nose but there is a Floral aroma that is mingled in there as well, definitely some Violet. This is definitely something to buy to add to your cellar because right now it’s very tight and closed off and it may not start to open up for 7-10 years. The flavours are Currant, Blackberry, Dark Plum and hints of floral rise to the roof of your mouth gracefully before the firm tannin takes hold. Should you have the means I highly recommend buying a bottle or two for the cellar.
