Recently, I was invited to a historic wine-tasting and lunch at Ridge Lytton Springs Winery in Sonoma County. It was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the winery, and we were treated to some very old zinfandels sourced from their 100+ year vineyards. A true treat!
A Brief History of Ridge Lytton Springs Winery
In the winter of 1971 , Paul Draper, winemaker with Ridge Vineyards, visited a 100-year old vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. He was searching for old-vine zinfandel grapes to expand his production of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon wines at Montebello in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The vineyards that he found were filled with gnarled old vines with thick trunks, and dated back to the turn of the century. In 1972, Paul made a deal to purchase the grapes from the owner, and the wine they produced was so delicious that he continued to purchase the grapes until 1991, when he offered to buy the property from owner, Dick Sherwin.
Paul and his team decided to name it ‘Ridge Lytton Springs’ because the vineyards were located near Lytton Springs Road.
This year the winery is celebrating its 50th anniversary of making world-class old-vine zinfandel, and they recently hosted an historic wine tasting that I was invited to attend. Though I had heard that an aged old-vine zinfandel could taste like an aged Bordeaux wine, it wasn’t until this tasting that I truly experienced it.
“A great wine transcends the varietals,” stated John Olney, Head Winemaker and COO of Ridge Lytton Springs.
Historic Tasting Highlights Aging Ability of Old Vine Zinfandel
The tasting of historic Ridge Lytton Springs zinfandel was headed up by John Olney, who was hired by Paul Draper in 1996. John was joined by Shauna Rosenblum, who was just hired into the winemaker role in 2022, with John moving into the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2021. Also in attendance were Ridge employees, Mark Vernon, David Gates Jr., Ryan Johnson, and Michael Bairdsmith.
Since Lytton Springs has only had three winemakers in its 50 year history, it was fascinating to taste through their creations over the decades.
John Olney explained that their 100+ year old vineyards were planted as ‘field blends,’ in the 35-acre block closest to the winery. This means that the majority of the vines are zinfandel, but that they are interspersed with other winegrape varieties, such as carignane, mourvèdre, petite sirah, alicante bouschet, and others.
The tasting included six old-vine zinfandel wines, organized from youngest to oldest. Following are some brief tasting notes on the six wines:
- 2022 – Bright red berries, blackberry, and allspice with crisp acidity and a long elegant finish.
- 2013 – Leather, figs, forest floor, and herbs. Paired very well with food.
- 2009 – Still youthful with bright mixed berry notes, dried figs, wood and mocha.
- 1999 – One of my favorites with great intensity and complexity; notes of dried black fruit, earth, mushroom, tea leaf and tobacco. Very elegant, with the fine-grained tannins and texture of a great Bordeaux.
- 1984 – On a blind tasting, I would have put this wine in the old world, with it 13.8% alcohol, savory dried fruit, leather, and earth with a long elegant finish.
- 1974 – Still vibrant with notes of black tea, clove, allspice, smoked meat and earthy components, with a very long and complex finish. An eye opener to the aging power of a fine zinfandel.
Shauna Rosenblum made the 2022, John Olney made the 1999, 2009, and 2013, and Paul Draper made the 1984 and the 1974.
“The 2022 was my first vintage at Lytton Springs, so I wanted to share this wine with you,” said Shauna, as she introduced the first wine. It was stunning, with classic mixed berries and spice, but also an elegance, crisp acidity, and balance that is not always apparent in everyday commercial zinfandels. This wine showcased its pedigree of coming from old field blend vines.
Why Old Vine Zinfandel Ages So Well
With zinfandel almost flowing in her veins, Shauna was a great choice as the new winemaker to carry on the legacy of Ridge Lytton Springs. Her parents, who launched and later sold the very successful Rosenblum winery, famous for its zinfandel, took Shauna to the vineyards as a child.
“At age 3, I already knew how to use a refractometer to measure the grape sugar level in zinfandel,” she shared with the guests.
Later in life, Shauna started her own successful brand, Rock Wall, featuring zinfandel wines. She led the company for 14 years, but decided to close it during the pandemic. Therefore, when asked why old-vine zinfandel ages so beautifully, her responses were based on years of experience.
“As zinfandel field blends age, they transform from generous layers of primary fruit, such as strawberry, blackberry, and hibiscus to softer, tertiary characteristics, with earth, mushroom, dusty cherry, herbs, miso and tobacco,” explained Shauna. “The latter are descriptors I might use to describe aged claret and Bordeaux.”
Shauna noted that the fact that the old vineyards were planted as field blends is part of what allows them to age so well. Just like a great Bordeaux is a blend of grapes, so is an old-vine zinfandel if sourced from a field blended vineyard.
“We have data that suggests that not all zinfandel ages well,” reported Shauna. “Those that age well have moderate alcohol, generally in the 12.5-13.8% range, a lower pH, meaning the wine is more balanced, and are generally a blend of grapes.”
Ridge also uses only around 15% new American oak to age their wines. “Once I was able to age the same lot of zinfandel in both French and American oak, but discovered that zinfandel just loves American oak and performs better with it,” said Shauna.
Visiting Ridge Lytton Springs
A visit to Ridge Lytton Springs is not only a treat for the taste buds, but also a feast for the eyes, because the winery is surrounded by 100+ year old vines, all farmed organically. About a 2 hour drive north of San Francisco, the winery can be visited as part of a day-trip, or a stop on a weekend visit. A great place to stay is in the nearby historic town of Healdsburg with its multiple Michelin star restaurants, or nearby Geyserville or Cloverdale.
Once at Lytton Springs, visitors can opt for the Estate Tasting of 5 single vineyard wines ($30 per person), or the Century Tour & Library Tasting, where guests are driven through the ancient vineyards and then treated to some of the special older vintage wines ($60 per person).
For those who want a more in depth experience, the Historic Vineyard Tour ($125 per person) includes a walk through the vineyard with a personal guide who explains the history and organic farming practices, followed by a seated tasting of rarely-opened wines. Drop-in visitors are also welcome, space allowing.
Another fascinating fact is that, at the time of construction, the winery was the largest in the U.S. to be made with straw bales. There are many benefits from straw bale construction, such as 40% lower CO2 emissions than traditional buildings, fire resistant, and natural insulation to reduce heating and cooling costs. John Olney, who was in charge of overseeing the construction in 2003, also added large solar panels to the roof, which provides more than 50% of their energy needs.
Ryan Johnson, Director of Marketing for Ridge Lytton Springs, sums up a visit to the winery: “At Ridge, our core philosophy revolves around the importance of single vineyards where the grape variety, soil, and microclimate align seamlessly. Lytton Springs, as one of our estate vineyards, perfectly embodies this philosophy and holds a special place in our hearts.”
NOTE: This article was originally published in Forbes.com. Republished Here with Permission.
