Girard '21 Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel

The nose reveals bold aromas of blackberry jam, red cherries, and spicy white pepper. Flavors of black plum and dried herbs flood the palate, framed by a careful selection of Fusion barrel oak. Savory notes imparted by the American oak, Hungarian oak elevates Zinfandels’ characteristic sweet spice, and the French oak affords the wine a smooth and luxurious finish.

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 bud break, followed by early flowering, blooming, 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 the optimal ripening of intensely concentrated and very flavorful berries

Fusion Barrels are fast becoming a hallmark of the Girard barrel aging regime, but what are they? Produced by World Cooperage, this series of barrels is custom designed and tailored specifically to our winemaker’s specifications. A custom blend of different oak species, literally a fusion of oak, crafted into a single barrel with the intention of imparting complexity and nuance in the wine aged therein.

Sourced from select vineyards, including Morgan Vineyard in the southeastern area of Napa Valley where the cooler climate affords grapes abundant ripeness, fresh acidity, and bright fruit flavors. Another key source, Godward Vineyard in Calistoga, is planted with older vines, and adds deep wells of flavor and polished character to our Old Vine Zinfandel. A third component is our Girard estate-grown “Mixed Blacks” field blend vineyard which is comprised of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Carignan.