Ridge’s Lytton Springs Estate sit just north of the town of Healdsburg. It’s home to 100 plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mataro, and Grenache. While we love their legendary Zinfandel blend, it’s their Petite Sirah from heritage vines that really impressed us for its overall purity and potential age-worthiness. The winemaking philosophy is simple: the winemaking happens in the vineyard with minimal intervention. 100% whole berry fermentation on native yeasts with limited pumpovers once a day. The wine was pressed on the eighth day. The winery sticks to an American barrel regime (15% new and a range of one to five-year-old barrels). The final blend is aged 15 months in barrel. This bottling is a throwback style to the Zins and Petite Sirahs that were made in the 70s with a firm angular structure. This acts as a nice counterpoint to the generous core of black and blue. You’ll quickly realize the “Wow” factor after a good hour decant. A savory nose of cassis and blue fruits, road tar, cracked pepper sets up an extremely concentrated and mouth-coating palate dominated by blackberries and black cherries. There’s a meaty richness paired with a vibrant high-tone energy that drives the finish. The whole berry fermentation approach takes the naturally tannic edge off the wine. Zin and Petite Sirah enthusiasts will bow to this beauty! One or two bottles is not enough. Buy multiple bottles so you can tuck a few away for three to seven years. You’ll thank us later.