Girard Petite Sirah 2021

The 2021 Girard Petite Sirah is a bold, full-bodied red that showcases the grape's signature power and inky-dark intensity. Sourced primarily from old-vine plantings in Calistoga and Pope Valley, the 2021 growing season’s cool, dry conditions produced smaller berries with thicker skins, resulting in deeper color and more concentrated tannins than typical years. The wine is an assemblage of 81% Petite Sirah and 17% Zinfandel, with a small addition of other red varieties, aged for 14 months in a mix of French, American, and Hungarian oak. On the nose, it offers a "mélange" of blueberries, black raspberry, and tobacco, while the palate is dense with layers of blackberry preserves, mocha, and baking spices. Its firm, integrated tannins and long, dusty finish make it an exceptional candidate for aging, with a peak drinking window extending through 2040. 

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Always among my favorite wines from Girard, the 2021 Petite Sirah features its usual incredible color—impenetrable black-purple. Blueberries and baking spices appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, tannic and sturdy, with some hints of mocha on the long, dusty finish. The assemblage is 81% Petite Sirah, 17% Zinfandel and 2% Mixed Blacks, with maturation identical to the Zinfandel (14 months in barrels made of American, French and Hungarian oak, 40% new).