91(+?) 2014 Ridge Lytton Springs (Dry Creek Valley) 11/5/16 ($35)
69% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignane, 2% Mataro 14.4% alc
Color: Deep garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Prominent briar, other sticks and twigs, vanilla and game nuances complement black raspberry and cherry fruit. (3.5) Body: Solid middleweight with excellent acidity, very good fruit and smooth tannins underneath. Tangy mouthfeel. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but not as rich, a little more lean here. (3.0) Finish: Briar is intense with excellent length. Doesn't quite show the fruit to meet at this point. (3.0)
Overall: Has a lean, raciness to it, with briar, vanilla and game nuances propelled by acidity. The fruit is a bit lean and restrained at this point, but may open and gain some weight with time. Tastes like Lytton Springs trying to be Geyserville right now, meaning that I think Lytton is best when driven more by tannin and concentrated Zin fruit, but I suspect that it will improve with 3-6 years bottle age. (15.5)
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