Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Girard's recent Petite Sirahs have been great, really defining a Napa approach to the variety, and their 2010 is right up there. It's fairly high in alcohol, but there's not race of overripeness. You’ll find delicious blackberry jam, black currant, grilled bacon and black pepper flavors that finish dry, spicy, and above all, satisfying.
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Wine Spectator
Espresso notes highlight the intense, robust wild blackberry and blueberry flavors laced by floral, tea and spicy highlights. Nicely dense, with the thick tannins never getting in the way of the wine's focus and fresh fruit core.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.