Product Overview
Winemaker's Notes
"The oldest petite sirah vines on our Lytton Estate were planted in 1901 and the youngest in 2008. We made our first wine from the property in 1972. In 2002, we began bottling portions of the petite sirah as a separate wine for a limited release, up until then it had always been included in the Lytton Springs Zinfandel. In 2003 we made another limited release and in 2009 our first national release.
Hand-harvested; organic, estate-grown grapes; destemmed, whole berry fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush; 86 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.
Deep, dark, inky purple in color. Nose of freshly cracked pepper, ripe blackberry, violets, cocoa and minerality. Juicy blue and black fruit on the palate with well coated tannins and a lengthy finish.
Built to last, this lovely, powerful wine will age twelve to fifteen years. " -Shauna Rosenblum, Feb/2023
Varietal Composition: 100% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley AVA
Vineyard: Lytton Springs Vineyard
Farming Practices: Organic
Aging: 16 months in American oak barrels, 15% new
Winemakers: Head Winemaker John Olney, Lytton Springs Winemaker Shauna Rosenblum, and Assistant Winemaker Michael Bairdsmith
93 Points - Vinous
"Comprising 100% Petite Sirah from Ridge’s Lytton Estate in the Dry Creek Valley, the 2021 Petite Sirah Estate is a brooding, savory, forbiddingly tannic red that clubs you over the head with power and intensity. Leather, oil-cured olive, lavender and sappy blackberry fruit run through this particularly rustic, animalistic edition of Lytton Petite. The fruit is plush and velvety beneath the monstrous structure, but it’s going to take a while to settle this beast down." -BN, Sep/2024
92 Points - Wine Advocate
"The 2021 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate opens with initial touches of tar and struck flint that give way to black cherries and currants, wild thyme, pencil shavings, coffee grounds and earth. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled, its chalky tannins nestled into concentrated, perfumed flavors. Its vibrant acidity adds to its elegance, and it has a long, latent finish. Give it 3–5 years in bottle." -EB, 9/19/24
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
"This dense Petite Sirah highlights the varietal's earthier, more savory elements, showcasing blackberry, cinnamon and black pepper on the nose. The palate is firmly structured with tons of tannin and acid that should soften nicely over time." -TC, 3/1/25
