1993 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel - a ripe nose, the tannins now fully
resolved and some smooth mature flavours that complemented the cheese with
dinner. Yes, the berry fruit is long gone. No, with some Zins that is NOT all
they have going for them!

On 05 Jun 2004 14:51:09 GMT, ojunk (Bill Spohn) wrote:

>1993 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel - a ripe nose, the tannins now fully
>resolved and some smooth mature flavours that complemented the cheese with
>dinner. Yes, the berry fruit is long gone. No, with some Zins that is NOT all
>they have going for them!

The first Ridge Zin that I ever tasted was the '92 Lytton Springs.
That led me to the Ridge ATP program and then the Ridge Zin List. (ATP
or Advance Tasting Program, offers a couple of bottles about every six
weeks, usually of small batch wines from Ridge. Several zins, but also
alicante bouchet, grenache, petite sirah and other reds. The Zin List
gives three zins twice a year from the major Ridge bottlings. Three in
the spring--most recently '02 Geyserville, Paso Robles and Ponzo--and
three in the fall.)

I never tasted the '93, dunno why. Most rankings I've seen list the
'92, '94, '96 and '97 as the wines of note in the decade. Just
recently finished the last '96 and have about three of '97 still left.

And, I concur regarding the placing in the meal. They are usually too
powerful to really work well with the entree, but do quite nicely with
the cheese or even alone with a book before the fireplace.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

> but do quite nicely with
>the cheese or even alone with a book before the fireplace

Around here managing to be _alone_ with a book in front of the fire without
SWMBO sitting beside me, arm out, empty glass at the ready would be the
exception....;-)

On 05 Jun 2004 15:47:15 GMT, ojunk (Bill Spohn) wrote:

>> but do quite nicely with
>>the cheese or even alone with a book before the fireplace
>
>Around here managing to be _alone_ with a book in front of the fire without
>SWMBO sitting beside me, arm out, empty glass at the ready would be the
>exception....;-)

Ditto....Isn't life grand!

And, it goes without saying, that at least once, the book should be
mine! ;-)


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

>And, it goes without saying, that at least once, the book should be
>mine!

I'm OK on that front - I read several books a week, while SWMBO reads at a
.....measured pace (no doubt the better to savour the content, though I
occasionaly tell her that she stops reading when her lips get tired or she gets
a blister on the end of her reading finger from following the text ;- ).

My tastes are (small 'c') catholic while hers are more circumscribed, and while
we do share some books with enjoyment (I get them first in recognition of my
less glacial reading pace), we also have our own libraries. Much better that
way, IMHO.

Ed Rasimus wrote:
>>On 05 Jun 2004 14:51:09 GMT, ojunk (Bill Spohn) wrote:
>>1993 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel - a ripe nose, the tannins now fully
>>resolved and some smooth mature flavours that complemented the cheese with
>>dinner. Yes, the berry fruit is long gone. No, with some Zins that is NOT all
>>they have going for them!
>
> The first Ridge Zin that I ever tasted was the '92 Lytton Springs.
> That led me to the Ridge ATP program and then the Ridge Zin List. (ATP
> or Advance Tasting Program, offers a couple of bottles about every six
> weeks, usually of small batch wines from Ridge. Several zins, but also
> alicante bouchet, grenache, petite sirah and other reds. The Zin List
> gives three zins twice a year from the major Ridge bottlings. Three in
> the spring--most recently '02 Geyserville, Paso Robles and Ponzo--and
> three in the fall.)

I am a bit confused and my memory is of no help. Somewhere along the
about 1990, Ridge purchased Lytton Springs. They kept on making Lytton
Springs wine through 1993 or there abouts and they also made a Ridge
Lytton Springs Vineyards that was bottled down at their Monte Bello Road
facility. My memory is there was the world of difference in the two
wines in that the Lytton Springs was a field blend with a lot of fruit
and the Ridge Lytton Springs Vineyard was almost pure Zin in the first
couple of years and then Ridge did the field blend also.

You two guys should have the answers to these questions.
Bill

Bill wrote:

>
>
> I am a bit confused and my memory is of no help. Somewhere along the
> about 1990, Ridge purchased Lytton Springs. They kept on making Lytton
> Springs wine through 1993 or there abouts and they also made a Ridge
> Lytton Springs Vineyards that was bottled down at their Monte Bello Road
> facility. My memory is there was the world of difference in the two
> wines in that the Lytton Springs was a field blend with a lot of fruit
> and the Ridge Lytton Springs Vineyard was almost pure Zin in the first
> couple of years and then Ridge did the field blend also.
>
> You two guys should have the answers to these questions.

What questions, Bill? Everything you said is correct AFAIK. Keep in mind that
the grapes from the former Lytton Springs winery's vineyards do not end up in the
Ridge Lytton Springs bottling to any significant extent. At first, they went in
to the "Sonoma Station" wine, but now they also sometimes make a "Lytton Estate"
that may be sourced from those vineyards. And, of course, Ridge's Sonoma tasting
room is the site of the former Lytton Springs winery. I have some fond memories
of their Zins from the mid-to-late '80s. In fact, their '88 was one of the best
Zins of that vintage IIRC.

Mark Lipton

From the label:

40% Estate vineyard
40% Maple "
20% Norton Ranch

In the 15th year of producing Lytton Springs, they decided that they would drop
Zinfandel from the label - it is a blend of 85% Zin, 8% Petite Sirah, 3%
Carignan, and 2% each Alicante and Grenache.

Blended from 23 small separate fermentations. 14.5% alcohol

Bill Spohn wrote:
> From the label:
> 40% Estate vineyard
> 40% Maple "
> 20% Norton Ranch
> In the 15th year of producing Lytton Springs, they decided that they would drop
> Zinfandel from the label - it is a blend of 85% Zin, 8% Petite Sirah, 3%
> Carignan, and 2% each Alicante and Grenache.

I had the misfortune to buy a case of something that Draper called
Heart's Desire which came from some vineyard in the Healdsburg area
that they had just purchased. He said on the label that it was so
unique that he did not want to blend it with any other Zins. To my
knowledge they only did one year.

In ,
Bill Spohn > typed:

> My tastes are (small 'c') catholic while hers are more
circumscribed,



These days, even some Catholics (big 'c') get circumscribed.
<gd&r>

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 14:58:56 -0700, "Ken Blake"
> wrote:

>In ,
>Bill Spohn > typed:
>
>> My tastes are (small 'c') catholic while hers are more
>circumscribed,
>
>
>
>These days, even some Catholics (big 'c') get circumscribed.
><gd&r>

The restraint which I exercised in avoiding that response has proven
futile.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

> What questions, Bill? Everything you said is correct AFAIK. Keep in mind
that
> the grapes from the former Lytton Springs winery's vineyards do not end up
in the
> Ridge Lytton Springs bottling to any significant extent. At first, they
went in
> to the "Sonoma Station" wine, but now they also sometimes make a "Lytton
Estate"
> that may be sourced from those vineyards. And, of course, Ridge's Sonoma
tasting
> room is the site of the former Lytton Springs winery. I have some fond
memories
> of their Zins from the mid-to-late '80s. In fact, their '88 was one of
the best
> Zins of that vintage IIRC.
>
> Mark Lipton

As I was reading over these posts (since I'm a big Zin/Ridge fan) I noticed
your mention of the '88 Lytton Springs (not Ridge) as being a great Zin for
that vintage. I knew I had an older Lytton Springs in the cellar so I went
down to check it out. It is indeed an '88. I'm not sure of when I will
open it, but your comments have given me a little hope for the time that I
do.

Thanks!

Sean

>These days, even some Catholics (big 'c') get circumscribed.

Ooh - nipped in the bud!

Not a big fan of such truncation!

Barbarous act!

In ,
Ed Rasimus > typed:

> On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 14:58:56 -0700, "Ken Blake"
> > wrote:
>
>>In ,
>>Bill Spohn > typed:
>>
>>> My tastes are (small 'c') catholic while hers are more
>>> circumscribed,
>>
>>
>>
>>These days, even some Catholics (big 'c') get circumscribed.
>><gd&r>
>
> The restraint which I exercised in avoiding that response has
proven
> futile.


LOL! I tried hard to restrain myself, but failed.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In ,
Bill Spohn > typed:

>>These days, even some Catholics (big 'c') get circumscribed.
>
> Ooh - nipped in the bud!
>
> Not a big fan of such truncation!
>
> Barbarous act!


LOL!


--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

"Bill" > skrev i melding
...
> .... He said on the label that it was so
> unique that he did not want to blend it with any other Zins. To my
> knowledge they only did one year.
>
It's how you sell muck. Claim that it is unique and thus warrants a high
price...
Anders

"Anders Tørneskog" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Bill" > skrev i melding
> ...
> > .... He said on the label that it was so
> > unique that he did not want to blend it with any other Zins. To my
> > knowledge they only did one year.
> >
> It's how you sell muck. Claim that it is unique and thus warrants a high
> price...

Actually, I suspect you have it half right. It may have _been_ muck (at
least in the eyes of the producer - or at best, something totally NOT what
the producer wants to claim is at all representative of what he intends to
proffer), but he probably sold it at an attractive price, just to move it.

Tom S

"Tom S" > skrev i melding
om...
>
> > It's how you sell muck. Claim that it is unique and thus warrants a
high
> > price...
>
> Actually, I suspect you have it half right. It may have _been_ muck (at
> least in the eyes of the producer - or at best, something totally NOT what
> the producer wants to claim is at all representative of what he intends to
> proffer), but he probably sold it at an attractive price, just to move it.
>
Hi Tom
Don't know whether I was right - but I'm always apprehensive when someone
claims his thing is "unique", "once-in-a-lifetime"
"very-special-offer-for-you-sir" and so on and that the price asked actually
is cheap for that special ... whatever.

:-)
Anders

Anders Tørneskog wrote:

>>Actually, I suspect you have it half right. It may have _been_ muck (at
>>least in the eyes of the producer - or at best, something totally NOT what
>>the producer wants to claim is at all representative of what he intends to
>>proffer), but he probably sold it at an attractive price, just to move it.

> Don't know whether I was right - but I'm always apprehensive when someone
> claims his thing is "unique", "once-in-a-lifetime"
> "very-special-offer-for-you-sir" and so on and that the price asked actually
> is cheap for that special ... whatever.

It really was unique. Probably the worse California wine I ever had
and yes they did a good marketing job and sold it around $US 22/bottle.
It was the Ridge label that sold it.

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> It really was unique. Probably the worst California wine I ever had
> and yes they did a good marketing job and sold it around $US 22/bottle.
> It was the Ridge label that sold it.

Given Ridge's reputation, I'd bet that it didn't have any technical defects.
Can you describe what you didn't like about it?

FWIW, my tasting experience goes back to their 1971 bottlings. A couple of
those were real blockbusters, too! The 1971 "Occidental, Late Harvest" was
stupendously rich and intense, but very well balanced. I wonder what ever
became of that Vineyard? I never saw another Ridge wine from there - or
from any other winery for that matter. To put that in perspective, it was
better than any "Geyserville" bottling I've tasted - and that says a LOT!

Tom S

Tom S wrote:

>>It really was unique. Probably the worst California wine I ever had
>>and yes they did a good marketing job and sold it around $US 22/bottle.
>>It was the Ridge label that sold it.
>
> Given Ridge's reputation, I'd bet that it didn't have any technical defects.
> Can you describe what you didn't like about it?
>
> FWIW, my tasting experience goes back to their 1971 bottlings. A couple of
> those were real blockbusters, too! The 1971 "Occidental, Late Harvest" was
> stupendously rich and intense, but very well balanced. I wonder what ever
> became of that Vineyard? I never saw another Ridge wine from there - or
> from any other winery for that matter. To put that in perspective, it was
> better than any "Geyserville" bottling I've tasted - and that says a LOT!

The initial bottle opened six months after I received it was way too
sweet. It was a late harvested wine but there was no such claim on the
front label, only the back. It tasted like it had had sugar added to it.
A year later it was undrinkable. It tasted like spoiled homemade jam or
jelly. Of the case, I drank one bottle initially and could not drink the
second after tasting. I poured all but one bottle out. Just a reminder
for Paul Draper if I run into him again. I go way back with Ridge also
including one of the founders. I particularly enjoy their Chardonnay
which most people have never seen.

When you visit Ridge winery again ask them about their Heart's Desire.

The 1970 Ridge Jimsomare Zin was even better than the 1971 Occidental. I
had both side by side at the late Dave Bennion's home. The guy who tended
the vineyards for Ridge sold me a bottle of the 70 Jimsomare and Parker
slipped it in to a Bordeaux tasting in about 1982 or so. Everyone thought it
was an older Bordeaux from 1966-1971. For those of you who aren't familiar
with Ridge, Dave was one of the original owners and also served as
winemaker. He also opened some Late Harvest wines. Dave died in a
automobile accident, if I recall.

Sometime ago I wrote about my Eisele-mania tasting where I had virtually
every Eisele cab wine from the 1971 Ridge Eisele to the 1978 Phelps & Travis
Fretter.

--
Joe "Beppe" Rosenberg
"Tom S" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> "Bill" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> FWIW, my tasting experience goes back to their 1971 bottlings. A couple
of
> those were real blockbusters, too! The 1971 "Occidental, Late Harvest"
was
> stupendously rich and intense, but very well balanced. I wonder what ever
> became of that Vineyard? I never saw another Ridge wine from there - or
> from any other winery for that matter. To put that in perspective, it was
> better than any "Geyserville" bottling I've tasted - and that says a LOT!
>
> Tom S
>
>

I have kept a very few bottles of Ridge Zinfandels from the 70s. Of
course all were ready many years ago, but most are still holding fairly
well. The wines are Lodi Essence 72(sweet LH), Monte Bello 73,
Shenandoah Esola 78(dry LH), York Creek 78, Dusi Ranch LH 78 (quite
sweet).

Here is some information frm the front and back labels of the 78 York
Creek. Napa County, 85% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah. Spring Montain,
1600 ft. Alcohol 13.9% by volume.

78 Zinfandel, York Creek, bottled May 1980. At York Creek, the Zinfandel
is divided into a number of widely separated and quite different blocks.
The upper vineyard ripens last and seems to add greater fruit and
definition to the wine. In 1978 when almost all our other Zinfandels
overripened in the unusually warm weather before harvest, the York Creek
did not and gave us this full, elegant wine. It should begin to open up
by fall, but would benefit from several years f bottle age. PD (4/800

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> I go way back with Ridge also
> including one of the founders. I particularly enjoy their Chardonnay
> which most people have never seen.

I've had a number of their Chardonnays, and have found them to be very solid
wines. None of them are my benchmark wines, but they're better than most of
what's produced in CA.

Tom S

"Joe Rosenberg" > wrote in message
...
> The 1970 Ridge Jimsomare Zin was even better than the 1971 Occidental.

I tried _really_ hard to get a bottle of the '70 Jimsomare, but it remained
out of my reach. :^(

> Sometime ago I wrote about my Eisele-mania tasting where I had virtually
> every Eisele cab wine from the 1971 Ridge Eisele to the 1978 Phelps &
Travis
> Fretter.

I've never been disappointed by _any_ of the Eisele Vineyards Cabernets I've
tasted. The '77 was particularly memorable for me. I shared that off the
wine list at a Christmas luncheon at Mauro's in downtown Los Angeles on 8th
Street. It doesn't exist anymore, but that's the elegant restaurant
featured in the movie "Pretty Woman". The bottle cost me ~$45US, and was
worth every penny! Who cares what we ate? ;^D

I still have one bottle of the 1991 Phelps Eisele (which I've never tasted)
that I bought at ~$35US in the pre-Araujo days. I know it'll be good, but I
don't know when I'll open it...

Tom S

P.S. - The 1977 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet was also a stunning wine. IMO,
1977 was a really excellent year for California Cabernets - but for some
reason it was largely ignored. Most of the 1978s that were raved about
weren't as good, or as reasonably priced.