2017 Ridge Vineyards Petite Sirah Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley 750 ml

In California wine circles we sometimes entertain ourselves with questions such as, what would you argue is the most American wine? Or, which wine do you think most successfully placed California wine on the world stage? Or, what is the most respected winery in the United States? Inevitably, one winery—Ridge—is an answer, if not the answer, to many of these questions.

Ridge is North America’s #1 Most Admired wine brand (and #3 in the world) by Drinks International. It has been a Wine & Spirits magazine Top 100 winery 20 times. It placed fifth at the historic 1976 Judgement of Paris (and took the crown thirty years later).

It’s hard to find anything written about Ridge that doesn’t include the word “icon,” but when Robert M. Parker Jr. said, “One of this estate’s iconic offerings is their Petite Sirah Lytton Estate,” he brought overdue attention to this prized beauty—one of the greatest values in Ridge’s esteemed portfolio, and just as cellar-worthy as its famous ($200+) Cabernet flagship.

A convincing case could be made that Ridge makes the definitive Petite Sirah—especially when tasting this “effortlessly attractive” 94-point 2017 Lytton Estate. How many bottlings could arguably define an entire varietal category for under $40?

It’s striking right out the gate with its mesmerizing inky hue and peppered floral aromas that fill the room before the wine even hits the glass. Full-bodied and mineral-driven, each sip practically vibrates with powerful energy that stems from the dark blackberry and plum core, even as it’s amplified by a backdrop of fig paste, licorice, and tar.

Grown on Ridge’s historic Dry Creek Valley vineyards in Sonoma, the enviable terroir comes through in the wine’s deep varietal concentration, but also its tempered angular elegance and minerally earth tones. Vibrant fruit from the century-old vines is impressive in youth, but its firm acid makes a brightly balanced Petite Sirah that can age a decade or more. 

Ridge’s Lytton Estate is located on the arid benchlands between Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, where foggy mornings burn off into warm and sunny afternoons before the breezes pick up in the late evening. The oldest Petite Sirah vines were planted in 1901, and their thick, gnarled trunks continue to squeeze out some of the most hauntingly complex flavor profiles in each tiny grape berry. 

At the turn of the century, the Italian immigrants were to Dry Creek what the monks had been to Burgundy for centuries—meticulously studying the soils for the ultimate varietal matches. In those poor, gravelly clay soils, they found perfect harmony with Petite Sirah and other California heritage varieties like Zinfandel and Carignane. Ridge is revered for preserving these ancient vines rather than chasing the more swashbuckling (and lucrative) varietal trends of any given decade. Lytton Estate is like a living Smithsonian of California wine history as a result.

That singular vision continues to pay dividends in wines like this Petite Sirah. Especially in 2017, when the hot summer’s lower yields created an even more concentrated Petite Sirah that usual, whose sheer power is offset by its moderate alcohol (at 13.8% ABV), allowing the peppery elegance to shine through.

Ridge was founded in 1962 but came into its own seven years later when Stanford graduate Paul Draper came on as winemaker. The Cabernet he made two years later placed fifth at the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, and made Ridge a worldwide legend.

After a few years, Draper made Ridge’s first wine from the (then) 80-year-old Lytton Estate, and the Sonoma Dry Creek wines have been some of their most recognizable labels ever since. The above-ground cave cellar made of clay, sand, and straw—where all of Ridge’s organic Sonoma County wines are produced—is today overseen by winemaker John Olney, who first joined Ridge as a cellar worker in 1991, and has been making magic at Lytton’s helm since 2001.

Antonio Galloni summed up his feelings about this wine when he managed to call it “superb” twice in the same glowing Vinous review. His loss for words is understandable, but we’ll try to articulate: 

No winery is more iconic, respected, and consistent than Ridge Vineyards, and at under $40, no collection should be without at least a dozen bottles of this sumptuous 94-point Lytton Estate Petite Sirah.