2018 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Sonoma 750 ml

Ridge Vineyards stands alone. They’ve been named North America’s #1 Most Admired wine brand (and #3 in the world) by Drinks International. They’ve been a Wine & Spirits magazine Top 100 winery 20 times, and they placed fifth at the 1976 Judgement of Paris—and when the wines were tasted again three decades later, they took the crown.

Much of Ridge’s reputation is built upon their highly sought-after Zin blends, and today we’ve got their best one ever: “The 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent,” begins the 96-point review by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, who calls it “elegant, layered and so complete.” This is California red wine at its vibrant, intense, and age-worthy best, from the winery that collectors and winemakers worldwide hold in the highest esteem. 

We have been ardent collectors and admirers of Ridge for decades. The critics have been heaping praise on the iconic winery for just as long, but none has ever decorated Lytton Springs with a 96-point rating, the kind that puts it in the company of Ridge’s legendary Monte Bello Bordeaux-style blend. For a bottle that we consider a cellar must-have in every vintage, this one is not to be missed.

Grown on their historic Dry Creek Valley estate, this wine is exactly what makes Lytton so iconic. From the first deep aromas of black cherry liqueur, red plum, and blackberry, there is so much nuance to contemplate: Red rose petal, pipe tobacco, incense, crushed forest leaves, licorice, thyme, mint, bay leaf, and dusty rocks all emerge from the glass. The mouthfeel displays ample power, energy, and breadth, but is still interwoven with sophistication. Big, rich tannins and juicy acidity contain this wine, which will soften and develop with both air and time. 

This is a Zinfandel-dominant blend that will deliver immediate pleasure, but also thrive in the cellar: Vinous recommended that readers cellar the bottle for a few years, and Ridge’s are some of the very few Zin blends that are known as age-worthy: Christie’s auction house called them “equally impressive in terms of structure, length, and age-ability” as their Bordeaux-style wines, and singled out Lytton Springs site as “an exceptional piece of ground” that “consistently produce(s) wines that are cellar-worthy yet understated and sophisticated.” 

The Lytton vineyards are located on the 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 older blocks (at Lytton East) are planted with intermixed Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Grenache, which are co-fermented. Lytton West features more single-varietal blocks, which are fermented separately before being added to the final blend. 

Ridge is the largest grower of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County, and in the cellar, they rely on what they call “pre-industrial” winemaking techniques. They eschew commercial enzymes and nutrients in the cellar, allowing the wine to undergo natural malolactic fermentation while aging in American oak. They’re also one of the only wineries in the world to voluntarily label their wines with a comprehensive list of ingredients. 

The result is gorgeous purity, with the vibrant fruit of century-old vines dominating in youth, and the firm acid making for a brightly balanced Zinfandel blend that can age a decade or more. No winery is more iconic, respected, and consistent than Ridge Vineyards, and no collection should be without a few bottles of Lytton Springs—especially the landmark 2018.