"Lytton Springs 2023" is a red wine made by Ridge Vineyards' from Sonoma County; its main component is Zinfandel, with the remainder consisting of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Mataro. The majority of this vintage comes from a blend of vineyards planted in the 1880s.
The 2023 growing season was cool, and the harvest began about one month later than usual. The result is a full-bodied wine that retains a lightness: the nose is dominated by ripe berries and cherries, while the finish features notes of licorice and spice.
The Ridge winery was founded around 1959 and is certified organic. Winemaking here involves minimal intervention; the grapes are fully crushed, and both primary fermentation and malolactic fermentation are carried out by natural yeasts and bacteria. The wine is then aged for 16 months in air-dried American oak barrels. The barrel composition reflects how the oak's characteristics come through: 19% new barrels and 58% barrels that have been in use for five years or more.
The wine is ready to drink now, but it is recommened to decant for about an hour before serving. It is best enjoyed by 2035.
Winespectator (95)
Deeply structured and full of tension, this polished red displays a distinctive personality, offering bold blackberry flavors accented with savory anise, black pepper and dark Asian spices. Ends with big but refined tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro.
James Suckling (95)
A lovely release with lots of freshness from a cooler vintage. Bright and perfumed aromas of red cherries, raspberry coulis, confit plums, licorice and spice. The palate is full-bodied with finely tuned tannins and vibrant, crunchy acidity. Made from 76% zinfandel, 14% petite sirah, 7% carignan, 2% alicante bouschet and 1% mataro.
Jancis Robinson (17)
76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro. Full crush. Both primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentations are completed by ambient yeasts and bacteria. Aged 16 months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels (19% new; 3% one-year-old; 10% two-year-old, 10% three-year-old, 58% five-plus-year-old barrels). Minimum effective SO2 for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 89 ppm over the course of ageing); pad-filtered at bottling. Certified organic.
Medium purple with a fuchsia rim. Black and red cherries, blackberries, and strawberries – all ripe and slightly baked with cinnamon spice in a terracotta pot. Sweet and ripe on the palate with fresh acidity. Slight meaty savoury note to finish. The Pagani is a bit showier with more concentrated fruit but the savoury note on this is lovely.
Vinous (95)
The 2023 Lytton Springs is powerfully aromatic and expressive from the jump. It explodes from the glass with dark blue fruit, lavender and blood orange peel, framed by mocha-like richness and a wave of exotic spice. The texture is pure silk, wrapping the palate with seamless contours and lifted freshness courtesy of the cool growing season. A blend of 76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro, the 2023 shows remarkable persistence and poise. If you know Lytton, you know these wines can age for decades—this one is clearly built for the long haul.
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Blending 76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro from an estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley purchased in 1972, the 2023 Zinfandel Lytton Springs exhibits initial chewiness that leads to fine tannins, with a good heft and underlying acidity. Well-woven oak supports a moderately ripe, medium-bodied frame of structured elegance, aged in 100% air-dried American oak.
Decanter (96)
A much cooler growing season delayed the start of harvest by about a month, resulting in a wine with greater restraint than the previous vintage. The 2023 is a more elegant take on this wine, with less fruit intensity, but still unmistakably Ridge. Fresh aromas of herbs from a bouquet garni mix with earthy tones and subtle sweet notes from baking spices. The fruit profile oscillates between ripe red and black berries, with a touch of plums and ripe cherries. Tannins are firm yet polished, and there's a soft creaminess to the palate. A wine that is balanced and quite enjoyable now, with many years to evolve in the bottle.
Owen Bargreen (95)
The 2023 Ridge ‘Lytton Springs’ Red Wine combines manly Zinfandel (76%) with 14% Petite Sirah and the remainder Carignan, Mataro and Alicante Bouschet. The nose offers great potpourri notes with milk chocolate, fresh herbs and shades of ripe strawberry. The palate is smooth and silky with a refined mouthfeel and a great sense of tension and salinity that runs through the core of red and dark fruits. Every bit as gorgeous as the ’22, and slightly less burly and more mineral-driven, enjoy this beauty over the next twelve plus years.
