WTN: 2001 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah Essence
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:48 amSo there's a cute little tale to my opening this wine. Saturday night was cool, and so I wanted a glass of Port. So I went to the cellar and grabbed a 1/2 bottle of 2000 Warre and brought it upstairs.
No sooner did I put it on the counter than my lovely wife said: "What do you think you're doing with that!?"
When I said I was going to drink some of it she complained bitterly about being too tired to enjoy it, and that I should open something other than Port.
Thinking of both the safety of my skin, and the fact that my wife is apparently now hooked on Port (
) I switched to the Ridge.
Of course the Ridge is not unlike a Port in many respects. There is the apparent buttery oak on the nose, but behind that is a wall of black and red fruit and some truly fierce tannins. The overall balance is there, but this is going to need a good 10-15 years to come into full drinkability. It's fun to drink now in a masochistic way, but if you're looking for pleasure leave your bottles alone for a long time. Mr. Draper tends to be correct in his label notes, and his 10-20 year window for this wine is in line with my thinking.
No sooner did I put it on the counter than my lovely wife said: "What do you think you're doing with that!?"
When I said I was going to drink some of it she complained bitterly about being too tired to enjoy it, and that I should open something other than Port.
Thinking of both the safety of my skin, and the fact that my wife is apparently now hooked on Port (
) I switched to the Ridge.
Of course the Ridge is not unlike a Port in many respects. There is the apparent buttery oak on the nose, but behind that is a wall of black and red fruit and some truly fierce tannins. The overall balance is there, but this is going to need a good 10-15 years to come into full drinkability. It's fun to drink now in a masochistic way, but if you're looking for pleasure leave your bottles alone for a long time. Mr. Draper tends to be correct in his label notes, and his 10-20 year window for this wine is in line with my thinking.