Ridge Vineyards - Lytton Springs 2020
Ridge Vineyards is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, California , United States . The Ridge Vineyards story begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a physician who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, purchased 70 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vines and using native limestone he built the Monte Bello winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892. In the 1940s William Short, a theologian, purchased the abandoned winery and vineyard just below Perrone's property. New owners Dave Bennion, Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen, and Howard Ziedler , all Stanford Research Institute engineers, crafted a quarter-barrel "Estate" Cabernet. This Monte Bello Cabernet was among California's finest wines at the time. The first Zinfandel was made in 1964, from a small 19th century vineyard further up the ridge. This was followed in 1966 by the first Zinfandel Geyserville. The founding families recovered the terraces of Monte Bello, increasing the size of the vineyard. By 1968 production had increased to just under 3,000 cases a year, and in 1969 Paul Draper joined the partnership. Under his direction, the old Perrone cellar (acquired the previous year) was restored, the most beautiful vineyard land rented or purchased, the constant quality and the international reputation of the wines established. Lytton Springs, Sonoma County, became part of the Ridge Estate in 1991. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also produced limited quantities of Chardonnay since 1962. Sustainability is both a philosophy and a set of practices environmentally friendly designed to preserve their land. Most of their vines are certified organic. In winemaking, Ridge Vineyards uses natural yeast, no commercial enzymes or nutrients and decisions are based on taste.
Lytton Springs 2020 is a blend of Zinfandel (79%), Petite Sirah (11%) and Carignane (10%) . The grapes from Lytton Springs Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley are destemmed and the whole berries are fermented with their native yeast. The wine is aged in air-dried American oak barrels for 13 months (20% two-year-old, 20% three-year-old, 15% new, 15% one-year-old, 15% four-year-old and 15% five years).
Grapes: 79% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignane
