50 Years of Ridge Lytton Springs

A vertical tasting of the hearty red blend spanned half a century and proved that Zinfandel can age

3 wine bottles and 3 decanters of Ridge Lytton Springs, a red Zinfandel blend from Sonoma County
The Lytton Springs estate dates to the early 1900s and is planted to a mix of grape varieties, including Zinfandel, Carignane and Mataro (known as Mourvèdre in France and Monastrell in Spain). (Tim Fish)

When senior editor Tim Fish moved to Sonoma County in 1989 as a young, underpaid newspaper reporter, Zinfandel was his go-to red for its value and authenticity. So he couldn't miss an opportunity to taste a selection of older wines with Ridge winemaker John Olney to mark the 50th anniversary of the winery's Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley bottling. Spanning the 1974 vintage to the current release 2022, the tasting showed that Zinfandel can age and why Lytton Springs is a cherished piece of land and wine history. Find out how the six wines tasted!

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