2020 Ridge, ‘Lytton Estate’ Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA

Producer: Monte Bello Ridge was first planted to vine in 1885 by Osea Penone, in 1959 a group of Stanford Research Institute engineers, Dave Bennion, Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen, & Howard Ziedle, bought some land on Monte Bello Ridge. Dave Bennion was the winemaker, joined by Paul Draper in 1969, a Stanford graduate in Philosophy. Ridge Vineyard’s Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, gained acclaim during the 1976 ‘Judgment of Paris’ wine tasting, winning 5th place.

Place: Ridge has 2 winery locations in Northern CA; on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, & at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.

Cultivation: Certified Organic, Certified Sustainable, Fish Friendly.

Varietal: Petite Sirah

Bottling: From the Lytton Springs Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley –  Petite Sirah has been made as a stand alone wine since 1992.

Soil: Loamy-Clay

Winemaking: Hand-harvest, de-stemmed, whole berry fermented with native yeast, aged for 17 months in American oak barrel.

Tasting Notes: Firm Structure – Bramble Fruit – Hint of Cured Meat