For the most part, this release consists of 2015 wines from the Sonoma County operation. The vintage there is quite ripe, to some extent beyond my preference. And then there is the 2014 Monte Bello from the home vineyard, always one of the world’s most notable wines.
2015 Lytton Springs Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley
Like its Geyserville counterpart, Ridge now makes its Lytton Springs as a blend that does not qualify for any grape type identification. In this instance, the wine is 74% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, and 2% Mataro aka Mourvedre. This wine has 14.5% stated alcohol (with 0.6% water added, and also tartaric acid) and doesn’t show any overripeness or other later harvest objectionable qualities. The fruit is a mixture of dark and red with berry spiciness, and the texture is creamy. There’s an elegance for a Zinfandel-based wine here, but I’d still stick to fairly pronounced foods — strong cheeses, grilled meats, tomato sauces, and the like. The wine drinks well now, and the winemaker’s notes indicate that it should improve over the next ten years. 91/A
2014 Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Vineyard
This wine has classic Monte Bellow hot bricks and lead pencil aromas. The medium-weight mouth shows black olive and black cherry flavors with a bit of iodide. The wine is quite firm and there is a bit of chalkiness to the texture. This wine still needs time to fully integrate and should improve with a few years in the bottle. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% stated alcohol. 92+/A-
2015 Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley Lytton Estate
This wine feels relatively light on the palate for a Petite Sirah. It has good violet-tinged dark fruits and the American oak is integrating well. The winemaker’s notes say that the wine should last twenty years; I’d probably drink it on the earlier side. Harvested on 21 August, made with whole clusters. 13.0% stated alcohol. 88/B
2015 Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Pagani Ranch
I have had wines that are 15% and above that did not bother me, but they are the rare exception, rather than the rule. But I do recognize that there are those who are fans of high ripeness, high alcohol wines; if you are one of those people, ignore my comments here and seek the views of someone else who does like that style. Even with the addition of 4.3% water, this wine still clocks in at 15.0% stated alcohol. The dark fruits are very ripe and the alcohol appears both in the nose and on the finish. 83% Zinfandel, 10% Alicante Bouschet 7% Petite Sirah. (No rating)
2015 Zinfandel Sonoma County Russian River Valley Ponzo
This wine is very ripe, like the Pagani Ranch, but more in the range of what I expect, even if not ideal. It is 97% Zinfandel, 3% Petite Sirah. Typical Zinfandel spicy bromberry and blackberry are here — they are most ripe but not over the top and I don’t pick up any specific alcohol notes in the nose or mouth. I’d drink this over the next 4-5 years and in order to cut the alcohol, I’d drink it cool, like a Beaujolais. 14.9% stated alcohol (with a 1.8% addition of water to the wine). 87/B-