WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Deep, dark, inky purple in color. Nose of freshly cracked pepper, ripe blackberry, violets, cocoa and minerality. Juicy blue and black fruit on the palate with well coated tannins and a lengthy finish.
Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
TASTING NOTES:
The Ridge Petite Syrah from 115-year-old, gnarly, bush-trained vines at the Lytton Springs estate. Farmed organically and with a deference to the site's tremendous history. The tannins are undeniable in this variety, known for its prominent structure, but Ridge manages to coax elegance from this burly big grape. That said, it is a wine meant to be drunk in time and is likely best after 2030. Big violet aromatics, boysenberries and dashes of white pepper leap forward. The palate shows a depth of fruit, a black peppery character aided by the tannins, with black tea, ripe, juicy fig flesh and notes of tart early-season blackberries finishing long and fresh.
- Decanter, 93 pts.
Comprising 100% Petite Sirah from Ridge’s Lytton Estate in the Dry Creek Valley, the 2021 Petite Sirah Estate is a brooding, savory, forbiddingly tannic red that clubs you over the head with power and intensity. Leather, oil-cured olive, lavender and sappy blackberry fruit run through this particularly rustic, animalistic edition of Lytton Petite. The fruit is plush and velvety beneath the monstrous structure, but it’s going to take a while to settle this beast down.
- Vinous, 93 pts.
The 2021 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate opens with initial touches of tar and struck flint that give way to black cherries and currants, wild thyme, pencil shavings, coffee grounds and earth. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled, its chalky tannins nestled into concentrated, perfumed flavors. Its vibrant acidity adds to its elegance, and it has a long, latent finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 pts.
A 100% petite sirah that showcases the variety’s intensity without totally overwhelming your senses. A deep, inky color with potent blueberry syrup and black pepper aromas, then a flood of dark chocolate and blackberry jam that a firm layer of tannins keeps from being sweet. Full-bodied. It will truly benefit from aging. Best after 2029.
- James Suckling, 92 pts.
This dense Petite Sirah highlights the varietal’s earthier, more savory elements, showcasing blackberry, cinnamon and black pepper on the nose. The palate is firmly structured with tons of tannin and acid that should soften nicely over time.
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Wine Enthusiast, 90 pts.
