2003 Ridge, Lytton Springs

Dark garnet color. Rasepberry and cherry aromas. Big cherry, raspberry, and strawberry fruit flavors, moderate acid, moderate tannins, long fruity finish. When first opened it had a slightly grapey flavor, but that faded after the wine had been in the glass for a while. I expect this wine needs at least a couple more years. My initial reaction was this was an average Zinfandel, but as it aired in the glass it got better and better. That is a good sign that it is just a tight, young wine. My rating 87.

The wine is labeled simply Lytton Springs. It does not say Zinfandel on the label, even though it is 76% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, and 6 % Carignane.