Wine Review: Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 2014 - A Classic California Field Blend

Описание: I thought it was about time I tasted a California red wine on video for this channel, so this long-term favourite wine of mine seemed like an excellent option. The wine concerned is Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 2014. This is a fully mature example of the classic California field blend. Despite its age the wine still shows beautiful ripe fruit supported by a beautifully integrated structure.

Ridge have been making wine from the Lytton Springs vineyard since 1972, initially leasing it and then buying the estate in 1991. This vintage is a blend of 69% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Syrah 11% Carignan and 2% Mataro (or Mouvedre) from old (many over 100 years old), dry-grown, bush-vines from the estate in the Dry River Valley AVA. Ridge's approach to making the wine involves gentle handling and minimal intervention. Any treatment used are listed on the label.

To find out more about this wine, its pricing and its availability follow this link to the Wine-Searcher website: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/ri...

▶️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 2014 wine label
0:28 Background and history of Ridge Vineyards
0:51 Saw the potential of the Montebello Vineyard
1:07 Employ Paul Draper as Winemaker
1:18 1971 Montebello does well at The Judgement of Paris tasting
1:30 Start making Geyserville wines in 1966
1:40 Paul Draper discovers Lytton Springs Vineyard
1:50 Site has substantial old-vine plantings
2:10 Ridge buy the vineyard and winery
2:21 Ridge's approach to making Zinfandel
3:04 Minimal intervention approach
3:30 Current ownership of Ridge
4:15 Zinfandel and other grape varieties used
5:06 Location of Lytton Springs
5:16 Soils
5:31 Aspects
5:41 Climate
6:00 2014 Vintage in Dry Creek Valley
6:33 Harvest dates
6:43 WINEMAKING - Hand-picked, destemmed and crushed. Ferment with indigenous yeasts
6:53 All 34 plots are vinified individually and are kept separate until blending
7:03 Petite Syrah whole bunch fermented
7:13 Malolactic conversion with indigenous bacteria
7:23 Minumum SO2 additions
7:37 Blend
7:53 Only mature in American oak
8:10 Coopered in the same way French oak is treated
8:26 Matured for 13 months in barriques
8:37 Percentages of new and older oak
9:09 TASTING - Appearance
9:38 Aromas
10:43 Palate
12:13 Drinking window
12:29 Conclusions
12:45 Score
12:59 Closing remarks, thanks and sign-off

▶️Follow this link to watch an somewhat younger me reviewing a somewhat younger bottle of the same vintage of this wine four and a half years ago:    • Wine Review: Ridge Vineyards Lytton Spring...  

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