Girard '21 Napa Valley Mixed Blacks Mixed Red

Field Blend believed to include Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.

The aromatics are brooding with black cherry, plum and blackberry notes and laced with baking spice and floral aromas. The palate reveals rich layers of blackberry jam and cranberry compote with notes of clove and cracked black pepper. Typical of this vineyard, the fruit character is bold but balanced by bright acidity. The finish is lengthy, marked by bold yet smooth tannins and refined oak-imparted spices.

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 verasion 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.

The primary source of our Mixed Blacks field blend comes from a vineyard in Calistoga planted at the turn of the 20th Century, and is our homage to California’s winegrowing heritage. When immigrants first settled here, they brought with them vine cuttings from their villages and planted what would later become known as “field blends.” These vineyards with humble origins produced wines which were to be shared among family and traded with neighbors as a part of a life well-lived.