In Bond Fine Wine. 2019 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley, California, USA. Red usa-california in 12x75cl. Top critic score: 95/100 (AG). Drinking window: 2022+. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Ridge Vineyards is a pioneering California estate, founded in the 1960s with the limestone-rich slopes of Monte Bello Ridge in Santa Cruz Mountains (AVA). Its legacy was cemented when the 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked 3rd in the historic 'Judgement of Paris'. Renowned for its elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and also its old vine Zinfandels and traditional fields blends from historic sites across Sonoma County, Ridge crafts some of the most ageworthy and authentic wines in the United States. These are great terroir-driven wines, from a winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention, native yeasts and transparent winemaking to express the site, vintage and varietal character. Ridge remains, without question, one of America’s greatest wine producers.
Decanter (DEC) — 92/100 · Decanter.com, 2022-09-22 · Drink 2023 - 2040
The history of Petite Sirah in California goes back to the mid-19th century, and today the wine has something of a cult following, albeit a cult that’s not for the faint of heart. This not-at-all-petite Petite Sirah is a powerhouse with a steel door of tannin that will require some years to soften. Immediate drinkers may want to ensure some lamb shanks or short ribs are in the oven! The oldest Pe…
James Suckling (JS) — 92/100 · JamesSuckling.com, 2022-09-13 · Drink 2022+
A dense and solid red with crushed blackberries, grilled meat and some smoked meat, too. It's full-bodied, tight and beautiful. Chewy. Real. Drink now.
Antonio Galloni (AG) — 95/100 · Vinous, 01/10/2022 · Drink 2024-2039
A wine of weight and substance, the 2019 Petite Syrah Lytton Estate is fabulous. Best of all, readers won't have to contend with huge Petite tannins, as those have been handled admirably. Black cherry, plum, exotic spice, leather, tobacco and incense infuse the 2019 with tons of complexity. There's plenty of supporting structure, but the tannins are pretty much buried. What a wine.