2005 Lytton Estate Syrah

A warm February allowed the syrah vines an early start, but cold weather returned in March and persisted through May, setting them back five weeks. Summer’s warmth was followed by an unusually foggy August and September. The fruit was fully ripe by late September, and all six parcels were harvested within six days. The grapes were destemmed but left uncrushed, and filled eight small tanks. By the third day, natural yeasts began the fermentations. For extraction of color, flavor, and tannin, a limited amount of juice was circulated twice daily over the cap of skins. Pressed at six days on average, the free run wines completed a natural malolactic fermentation and were racked to barrel. Assemblage was determined in late spring by blind tasting of the eight possible components. The oldest parcels produced wine of exceptional depth and density; the younger yielded focused fruit and soft, balanced tannins. Five lots were chosen for this fine syrah, and aged for a total of twenty-one months in air-dried American oak. Enjoyable now for its forward, spicy fruit, it will develop greater complexity over the next ten years. EB (5/07)

Ridge has just over three acres of mature syrah and six acres of younger vines at Lytton Springs West: since 1996, we have produced limited amounts for the Advance Tasting Program. In 2001, we added nine more acres of syrah, and one-and-a-half of viognier. Because matching a grape varietal to the climate and soil of a particular site has permanent implications—and is a costly decision to revise—we have planted several of the finest clones and field selections in each parcel.

Rainfall: Sixty inches (slightly above normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: Cool, wet spring and warm, dry summer, with no intense heat at harvest.

Harvest: Dates 29 September – 4 October
Grapes: Average Brix 26.0˚
Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. Pressed at seven days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (26% new, 28% one and two years, 46% three years old)
Aging: Twenty-one months in barrel

Average Rating: 90.7

No. of Tasting Notes: 235

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