Girard Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2021 (750ml)

 

Rated 91 Points by James Suckling

 

A juicy and grapey petit sirah with black berry, light white pepper and cement character.  Medium body.  Dusty textured mouthfeel.  Drink now.

 

Girard Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2021

 

Winemaker Name:  Glenn Hugo

 

Appellation:  Napa Valley

 

Varietal:  Petite Sirah

 

Alcohol Content:  14.5%

 

Tasting Notes

 

The nose reveals a mélange of black raspberry, tree-ripened Santa Rosa plum, and cigar tobacco.  Medium-plus to full-bodied, the wine unfolds with layers of black cherry preserves, vanilla, and hints of garrigue framed by a careful selection of Fusion barrel oak; savory notes imparted by the American oak, Hungarian oak elevates Petite Sirah’s spice, and the French oak affords the wine a smooth and luxurious vanilla-scented finish.

 

Vintage Notes

 

The growing season started with a wet January and February, then nearly no rain for the remainder of the season.  The dry weather resulted in early spring budbreak, followed by early flowering, bloom, and fruit set.  Calm spring and summer temperatures with no concerning heat spikes allowed for even veraison in July.  Due in part to continued drought conditions the yields were naturally lower resulting in optimal ripening of intensely concentrated and very flavorful berries.

 

Winemaker Notes

 

This Petite Sirah has developed into a very sought-after wine in the Girard portfolio, with fans of the variety looking to our bottling for the characteristic heady perfume, inky dark color, intense tannins and balanced oak integration.

 

Vineyard Notes

 

The fruit for this Petite Sirah was sourced from old-vine plantings in Calistoga and Pope Valley areas of the Napa Valley where a myriad of soil types, coupled with warmer temperatures help the grapes develop rich and balanced character.  A third component is our Girard estate-grown “Mixed Blacks” field blend vineyard which is comprised of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Carignan.

 

 

Girard Winery

 

Napa Valley

 

Heritage in the Napa Valley

 

At Girard, we are passionate about wine, we are dedicated to the land, and we are proud to call Napa Valley home.

 

For the past 40+ years, Girard has been singularly dedicated to ensuring balance in our wines.  Our decades-long relationship with growers along with small-batch fermentation techniques and meticulous blending, produce consistently award-winning wines that offer richness, complexity and balance in each sip.  We are dedicated to employing techniques and operating a facility that allows us to take the time with each and every wine to express its true character.

 

Vineyards

 

Relationships in the Vineyards

 

Napa Valley is steeped in tradition and built on the hard work of families of growers who pioneered this acclaimed winegrowing region.

 

Our vintner Pat Roney and winemaking team, Marco DiGiulio and Glenn Hugo, have forged decades-long relationships with growers throughout the valley.  We have cultivated friendships with these families whose ancestors were among the first to plant in Napa and whose vineyards we have fallen in love with.  Each vintage, we are proud to select fruit from the best sites ranging from mountaintop Cabernet Sauvignon to valley floor Sauvignon Blanc to reflect wines that are authentically Napa.

 

Pride is at the heart of our relationships: these winegrowers are proud of their fruit and what we do with it.  We acknowledge their efforts by respecting their name, their business and the grapes they grow by producing wine that can only be described as authentic and consistent.

 

Our Wines

 

Consistency in the Bottle

 

Devoted.  Focused.  Passionate. 

 

This is what we strive for in order to craft consistent

wines to be proud of vintage to vintage, bottle to bottle.

 

From our long-standing relationships with growers to our meticulous winemaking practices, honoring the true character of each wine is our main goal.  We are dedicated to employing techniques and operating a facility that allows us to take the time with each and every wine to express its true character.

 

Going Green

 

Responsibility in Practice

 

Our winery was built for innovative winemaking

 

Often called "ambitiously efficient", our state-of-the-art winery in Calistoga, completed in 2018, employs cutting edge energy saving initiatives allowing our team to practice traditional winemaking techniques.  Respecting the land does not stop in the vineyards and our facility is another way we reflect and respect the heritage of Napa Valley's terroir.