I can’t tell you WHY I’m all of a sudden posting these tasting notes, but there is a really good reason, I promise … and for some of you out there, well, this may just be a bit of help in a future decision that you may (happily!) find yourself contemplating with some combination of, oh, I don’t know, seriousness and thirst! Anyhow, on to the wine!
1993 California Zinfandel Lytton Estate
Appearance: Deep ruby middle, with a dark salmon limn. Precise rivulets, and a thick bowl glaze.
Aromatics: Slight duskiness right away; also, strong and diverse cherry notes (red, black, sour, maraschino, etc.), matched by strains of persimmon and currant.
Front: Again, lots of cherry fruit notes, with some enticingly sweet cream traces, all wrapped around a core of good, sweet fruit dominated by a ripe raspberry jam character. Hints of baked apples and pie spice, and a lingering nod to chocolate-covered cherries …
Mid-Palate: Surprisingly, and pleasantly, gentle acidity in the cheeks, with some warm tongue-side presence as well, counterbalancing some gently adhesive tannins, making for a sound and mature architecture … Sweetness and ripeness continue to definte the fruit profile …
Finish: Not an overtly long finish, but a very warm and wide one, with no sharp acidity or alcohol burn to interfere with the seasoned and sophisticated fruit profile.
Summary: Given that Paul Draper’s original projections for this wine posited a trajectory of development playing out over 5 to 8 years (tasting notes written in 1995), it’s absolutely stunning how drinkable this wine is! In fact, I should have just gone with a two-word-summary: how drinkable!
Tags: Lytton Estate
