Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2008
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Ripeness and well-defined fruit are comfortably juxtaposed in this deep and very convincing young Zinfandel and the varietal's berry-like voice is given free play throughout. While moderately full-bodied, the wine is alive and balanced from beginning to end, and, if a bit given to last-minute acidity, it is built for improvement and has all of the right stuff in all of the right pieces to evolve nicely over the next half-dozen years.
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Wine Enthusiast
A fine Zinfandel, ripe and balanced. The wine shows concentrated wild berry, licorice, fruit liqueur, jam, bacon and spice flavors. Yet the richness is balanced with fine acidity and soft but intricate tannins, and the finish is dry. Drink now-2013 for freshness.
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For the past 40 years, Girard has been singularly dedicated to ensuring balance in their wines. This is achieved by meticulously focusing on making choices that respect the grapes and Napa Valley heritage at each step of the winemaking process. They work closely with long-time growers in both mountain and valley vineyards to ensure vines are nurtured to develop balanced sugar and acidity in the grapes when it comes time to harvest. In their state-of-the-art winery, they employ innovative barrel technology to bring out the ripe fruit characteristics during the fermentation and aging process. The dedication to quality throughout the winemaking process is evident in the consistently award-winning wines that offer richness, complexity and balance in each sip.
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.