June 27, 2012 – Wine: 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs

This was one of the nicest wines to emerge from 2006, as the Zinfandel grapes fared somewhat better in the hot weather than the Bordeaux varietals.  Of course, the Lytton Springs blend from Ridge is always a fantastic wine.  Because I uncorked later in the evening than usual, I was tasting the wine before it had completed its necessary decanting and observed as it went from seemingly tannin-less and unstructured to well balanced, more intense and well structured.  This metamorphism took place over about 20 minutes, so I would suggest an hour decant.  On the palette are dark cherry, red currants, mineral, and hints of leather on the finish.  In a vintage where my favorite cabs faired less than favorably, I’m glad to know that the Zinfandels have taken up the slack – in this case, knocking it out of the ballpark.

2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Blend