I’m drinking a 2013 tonight. Nice but more resolved than I was expecting. Plan on drinking the remaining two over the next year or two.
Wondering about the 2018 Ridge Lytton Springs. Do they release it late? Geyserville has been on the market since early this year.
Thanks,
Hal
A 2008 Lytton Springs consumed in 2015 was stellar and had a few years left in the tank. I’m inclined to guess vintage + 10 is just right. A 2001 last year was OTH and the 14s are far too young
The kitchen… or, sometimes dining room.
I agree with Greg and Doug. I would say if you’re curious drinking those now is a good choice.
In my anecdotal experience Lytton shows more vintage variation than Geyserville. Some are going to require more age than others. Some will drink better younger than others. Your decision is more about how mature you like to enjoy your wines than anything.
I generally wait til there is at least 7 years of bottle age, and then enjoy them through age 15. Honestly, I’ve never had a Lytton that I thought didn’t show well to age!
I’ve moved away from buying LS over the last several years though I did buy a token 6 of the '18 due to vintage.
It tends to be a bit too fleshy for my taste, more often than not i get slight syrup notes out of it that I am sensitive to-much like Pagani-and it is less interesting to me now.
Granted, it’s still great stuff, but why buy LS when you can get Geezer for the same price?
I humbly disagree that LS ages well. It hangs on very well, but I almost never get the positive evolution out of LS that I get out of Geyserville. And I too have quite a few old bottles of LS in my cellar, and either one or two bottles of the original LS LS too. I would pop them but at the moment I have no physical access to them without a way to climb over piles of bottles-I need a powerful drone to reach them.
Hal Blumberg wrote:
Wondering about the 2018 Ridge Lytton Springs. Do they release it late? Geyserville has been on the market since early this year.
The Lytton Springs is typically released in September, along with the Pagani and a few others, while the Geyserville is typically released in March. I believe that several years ago the releases were reversed.
Ed
Mitch, I’m in the same boat. I also felt that Ridge was increasing new oak on this cuvee. I think 2012 was my last purchase. Sad considering I’ve been buying it for 20+ years, but as you note, Geezer is another level of wine.
I like both Geyserville and Lytton Springs a good bit. I have twice the number of bottles of Geyserville than I do of Lytton Springs, but in no way do I wish I had all Geyserville. My last bottle of Ridge “zin” was a 2013 Lytton Springs and it was quite enjoyable.
Has the 2018 Lytton Springs been released yet ? That’s usually a Fall (September) release …
Howard Cooper wrote:
My last bottle of Ridge “zin” was a 2013 Lytton Springs and it was quite enjoyable.
We had a bottle of this last fall and it was excellent. We buy more Geyserville than Lytton but the 2013 Lytton is excellent.
Ed
I was wrong. I went down to the cellar to check. I thought I had ordered 6 of each '18 but it was a solid case of '18 Geezer. Ed is correct and I am dumb.
Mitch, I’m in the same boat. I also felt that Ridge was increasing new oak on this cuvee. I think 2012 was my last purchase. Sad considering I’ve been buying it for 20+ years, but as you note, Geezer is another level of wine.
It’s a sorry cliche but you me and Trimpi are triplets separated at birth. The Triplets of Bellville.
Mitch Tallan wrote:
I was wrong. I went down to the cellar to check. I thought I had ordered 6 of each '18 but it was a solid case of '18 Geezer. Ed is correct and I am dumb.
Buying a case of 2018 Geyserville completely absolves you of any errors!
Ed
Thanks a lot, Ed! Good to know so I can watch for the release in a couple of months.
Cheers,
Hal
Buying a case of Geyserville hardly qualifies you as dumb.
Especially a case of the 2018!
I opened a 2010 Lytton last night as well. I thought the nose was great and I’ll second the “it’s gorgeous “. Sadly, my only ‘10.
interesting that you like these wines, Robert. I haven’t tried a recent Geyserville (2010 was probably the last?), but was a huge Ridge fan back in the late '80s and early '90s. Then the wines seemed to get much oakier, including Geyser, after 1995 or so. I stopped buying them because I don’t like that dilly, whiskey barrel American oak flavor at all. Have they decreased the oak in recent vintages, or is it still the same?