2020 Syrah Grenache Mataro

Generous aromas of blackberry, pepper, bacon fat, rose petal, and licorice followed by black raspberry, black tea, orange zest, Madagascar vanilla and sage on the palate. Excellent mid-palate weight with a lingering finish. SR (1/23)

Ridge first made Syrah from Lytton Estate in 1996. Recognizing that the site is well suited to the variety, we planted more syrah as well as smaller amounts of grenache and mataro. In 2014 we combined these three varieties to make our first Syrah Grenache Mataro, appealing for its spicy aroma and sensuous fruit. Lower yields in 2020 resulted in a wine with greater structure that will evolve over the next eight years. JO (4/22)

This wine comes from two hillside parcels at Lytton West. One is planted entirely to syrah while the other is planted to half grenache and half mataro. Mataro, a late ripening variety synonymous with mourvedre, does not always mature before the onset of fall rains.

Rainfall: 21 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Rains in March and April helped the vines get through the summer.

Harvest Dates: 22 August – 24 September
Grapes: Average Brix 25.7˚
TA: 5.03 g/L
pH: 3.85
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; daily pump-overs.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 15% one year old, 25% two years old, and 45% four and five years old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested, sustainably grown, estate grapes; de-stemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush and 90 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

OwenBargreen.com: 94 Points “This blend is nearly all Syrah (79%) with 14% Grenache and 7% Mataro blended in. It comes off exceedingly well-balanced and clean with a silky texture and opulent red and dark fruit flavors. With more air, tobacco leaf and coffee grounds meld well with shades of graphite on the palate. Really good now, this will easily cellar well for another ten plus years. Drink 2023-2033.” -Owen Bargreen (April 2023)

Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points “Made in a rich, dark, Châteauneuf style, this deeply colored and chocolate-scented wine is drenched in dark plums, blueberries and mocha flavors wrapped in thick, velvety tannins. It’s a big, full-bodied wine to enjoy with the beefiest entrées.” -Jim Gordon (November 2023)

Average Rating: 89.7

No. of Tasting Notes: 19

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