Winemaker Notes
Intriguing nose of leather, fig and rose petal. Full bodied palate with well coated tannins, mint, black olive and a long minerally finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Containing 3% Zinfandel, the 2018 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate has luscious aromas of cassis and blue fruits, turned earth, coffee and aniseed. The palate is full, concentrated and firm but offers great freshness and fruit detail in the mouth, and it finishes very long and layered. It's approachable now if you love a big red, but it will also age well in the cellar.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: In the early days of my wine travels, I found myself wondering as I tried to understand what Petite Sirah was supposed to be. Some of California's efforts, including the Ridge York Creek offerings from the 1970s, were stunning. The 2018 Ridge Lytton Estate is leading me into another direction. As I tasted this wine over three days, I saw it grow beyond my expectations. TASTING NOTES: This wine is powerful, yet it bites on the palate and stays elegant throughout. Enjoy its aromas and flavors of bright berries and anise with braised beef stew, star anise, and whole black peppercorns. (Tasted: September 17, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
There are 4,600 cases of the 2018 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate. (There's 3% Zinfandel in the blend.) This dark-fruited, ripe, smoky wine has full-bodied richness, a rounded, opulent texture, good acidity, loads of currant and chocolate blue fruits, and a great finish. It picks up a chalky minerality with time in the glass and, despite being a big, rich wine, it has a terrific sense of freshness. It's going to evolve nicely for 10-15 years.
RIDGE's history begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building now serves as the RIDGE production facility.
In 1962, Ridge Vineyards made its first Monte Bello, and two years later its first zinfandel. The RIDGE approach is straightforward: find the most intense and flavorful grapes, guide the natural process, draw all the fruit's richness into the wine. Decisions on when to pick, when to press, when to rack, what varietals and what parcels to include and when to bottle, are based on taste. To retain the nuances that increase complexity, Ridge winemakers handle the grapes and wine as gently as possible. There are no recipes, only attention and sensitivity.
In August 2021, Ridge Vineyards joined International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a group of like-minded wineries that are dedicated to decarbonizing the global wine industry. RIDGE is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and completes a biannual greenhouse gas audit utilizing the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol methodology and be verified by an internationally accredited, third-party auditor.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.
A multifaceted and highly reputable sub-region of Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley is responsible for a wide range of wine styles—both red and white. One of the smallest AVAs in California, Dry Creek Valley has a winning combination of ideal geography and climate. Fertile, well-drained soils create concentrated varietal character while long, warm days, bookended by cool nights, allow grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness and balance. The warm and welcoming appellation is home to a number of family-owned vineyards and wineries that place a strong emphasis on sustainable farming practices.
Zinfandel reigns supreme here and still produces in a great number of very old vineyards—often 100 years old or older. These old vines create a powerful, voluptuous and sultry wine unlike those of any other region. Sauvignon Blanc, the valley’s signature white grape, also performs exceptionally well. Many other varieties grow comfortably here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah. Petite Sirah is often found in blends with Zinfandel.