2022 Lytton Springs

Complex nose of boysenberry, cigar box, anise and sage. Full-bodied with well-coated tannins and balanced acidity. Notes of plum, blackberry, mineral, pepper and dark chocolate. SR (7/24)

An early spring and mild weather contributed to a uniform but moderate set. A May frost reduced yields in some blocks, but due to variance in bud break, most of the vineyard was spared. Rich fruit, ample acid, and firm tannin showcase the balance and quality typical of this exceptional vineyard. Approachable even as a young wine, this classic zinfandel will continue to evolve over the next ten to fifteen years. SR (11/23)

In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century. Both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard were purchased in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under “Captain” William Litton’s ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved to “Lytton” by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.

Rainfall: 20.5 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: 2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received spring rains that helped the vines. These same rains caused shatter in our zinfandel, reducing their crop. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.

Harvest Dates: 19 August – 12 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.7˚
TA: 6.60 g/L
pH: 3.63
Fermentation: Full crush; 100% natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (17% new, 3% one year old, 10% two years old, 10% three years old, and 60% five-plus years old).
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested, organically grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; tartaric acid; oak from barrel aging; water; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 84 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.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.