Ridge Vineyards has led the way for stressing the importance of place when crafting wines. They were early advocates of putting vineyard designations on the bottle. The Lytton Springs estate blend and Geyserville blend are two flagships that masterfully showcase old-vine Zinfandel and their sibling field blend grape varietals. The winery first bottled the “Lytton Springs” back in 1972, never missing a vintage. Based on the history and the age of the vines, it’s amazing that Ridge has kept pricing in check. We secured this 2013 release direct from the winery. Provenance couldn’t be better with each and every bottle in mint condition for this 5-year-old library wine. Decant for 60-minutes and experience some California history. The 2013 is a blend of two-thirds Zinfandel with Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Mataró (mourvèdre). Still to this day, the wine is aged in 100% American oak barrels (20% new). The wine has only gotten better since its release. There’s still tons of inky saturation when it pours into the glass. Brambly black fruit with streaks of violets and licorice are distinct on the nose. It’s rich, layered, and concentrated with plenty of stuffing to cellar for another decade. The tannins have melded well with the dark fruit and American oak. With extremely limited supply for this library release, please grab some before it sells out.