WTN: Ridge Lytton Springs 1997

[docsconz]

I think so. The wine was full of fruit and supple tannins. It tasted of well-baked chocolate cherry bread with a nice long finish. While I think it still has a lot of life left in it, I can't imagine it getting better. The wine is comprised of 80% zinfandel, 2% mataro (mourvedre), 15% petite syrah and 1% grenache from Dry Creek Valley. It was bottled with 14.9% alcohol.

[Carema]

It was bottled with 14.9% alcohol.

There's one clue it probably couldn't go for much longer. The Ridges tend to have better acidity for some reason than other Zins (all those weirdo Sonoma microclimates) but when you get right down to it, most Zins are about heady fruit and mucho alcohol- to be enjoyed young. I usually do not recomend aging these things for significant amounts of time (and despite the hype alot of 1997s have begun to break down) unless you are an enjoyer of necrophelia.

[John W.]

I've had some zins lately that have made it that long. Surprising.

Lots of fun blind.

Edited September 29, 2003 by John W. (log)

[docsconz]

I agree that most if not all zins are better young, but my point on this wine is that it is in no way past peak. I failed to mention that the bottle I had was a 375ml bottle, which if anything would "age" faster than a 750ml bottle.

I have had older zins and while they often lose their fruity character, some of them do age reasonably well.

[GordonCooks]

I polished off the last of my 97 Lytton Springs, Pagani Ranch and 96 Geyserville this year. The wines were at their peak and drank over a 3 year period (I didn't see them getting any better) I have 6-8 bottles of 99 Ridge (except the terrible York Creek) in my cellar now but they're lacking in comparasion.

[ctgm]

Just tried the 2000 Lytton Springs and Geyserville and found them incredibly closed. Preferred the Geyser to the Lytton.