Girard Winery

     Thursday August 18, 2016

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D' Oeuvres Feta, Dried Tomato & Artichoke Tartlets (Fresh tarragon and garlic) Crispy Kataifi Crusted Jumbo Shrimp (Cilantro emulsion)
Creating a white wine that speaks to the varietal’s bright, crisp character is the goal of Girard’s Sauvignon Blanc every year. They tend to search for vineyards that develop fruit with more tropical fruit notes versus grassy character. Balancing this tropical character with crisp, bright acidity creates a wine that showcases the style Girard enjoys making and drinking. The Girard Sauvignon Blanc was picked at a level of ripeness that showcases its fruit while still leaving behind enough acidity to create a balanced wine. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes were slowly fermented at cooler temperatures in stainless steel tanks. After completing primary fermentation, malolactic fermentation was restricted to help maintain the crispness of the acid. Leaving the wine on its lees for a short amount of time helped to develop some of the mouthfeel that adds to the wine’s complexity. This wine has aromas of lemon, passion and stone fruit. The palate begins with bright, crisp acidity that wraps around crisp apple, mango and peach notes. Citrus fills the finish with lemon zest and fresh squeezed tangerine.
Girard Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Salad Course Grilled Squash, Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Caprese (Crispy shallots and basil pesto with Chardonnay vinaigrette)
From day one of Girard’s plan to produce world class Chardonnay, they chose to source the grapes from the Russian River Valley. They feel this region lends best to the style of Chardonnay that they would like to make and be known for. The cooler climate region of northern California helps create a white wine with brighter acidity and fruit that showcases the regions’ climate is only slightly outperformed by the soils that lend additional structure and character to the Chardonnay grapes they source from the Russian River Valley. Fermentation took place at cooler temperatures for extended periods of time, promoting expressive aromatics and bright fruit character. Fermentation took place in specific French Oak barrels that were chosen for their less aggressive character, developing a well-balanced blend of fruit, acidity and layered oak character. A regime of batonnage (lees stirring) was utilized throughout the wine’s time in French Oak. This labor intensive practice helped lend to a more complex mouthfeel and promoted the complexity that Girard looks for in choosing to age their Chardonnay on its lees. The wine was bottled after 11 months in 100% French Oak (35% new). This wine has notes of apple, pear, vanilla and cinnamon which unfold in the nose. On the palate, the bright acidity is laced with Mandarin Orange, citrus peel and Bosc pear. As the wine coats the palate, there is a layer of minerality and a present, but not domineering oak character.
Girard Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2014
Beef Course Black Pepper Crusted Roasted Beef Striploin (Brie and buttermilk whipped potatoes, roasted red grape, cranberry and red wine reduction with sautéed baby haricot verts)
Producing a well-balanced “Old Vine” Zinfandel from Napa Valley has been Girard’s goal for over a decade. Sourcing vineyards that offer a range of character, from more extracted/intense fruit to others that offer bright red fruit notes and balanced acidity is their focus every harvest. Vineyard sources in the northern most part of Napa Valley (Calistoga) tend to ripen the most and come from vines planted in the last century. These sources offer intensely concentrated fruit character to the blend. Couple that with slightly younger vineyards in the southeastern part of Napa and more of the bright red fruit and structured acidity are developed that helps create layers of complexity in the Girard Zinfandel. The Girard Old Vine Zinfandel is 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah. Having achieved the right amount of balance in their vineyard, the grapes for the Girard Zinfandel were picked with a focus on keeping the wine’s alcohol present, but not overpowering. The wine was aged for 14 months in “Fusion” barrels, a blend of French, American and Hungarian oak. This type of barrel added even more diverse character and structure to the Zinfandel blend. French oak gives elegance blended with a meaty, smoky note from the American oak and a well-developed spice character from the Hungarian oak. This wine has aromas of raspberry and cherry, while the palate expresses rich flavors of warm spice and vanilla bean. Balanced ripeness and acidity compliment the intense fruit flavor.
Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2013
Dessert Course Roasted Blackberry, Vanilla Bean & Basil Turnover (Served warm with mocha infused dark chocolate ganache, fresh blackberries and nutmeg spiced whipped cream)
Girard’s flagship wine, Artistry, showcases the best expression from Napa Valley in a blend of the five classic Bordeaux varietals. Grapes for Artistry come from several prominent areas throughout Napa Valley with Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from St. Helena, Oakville and Pope Valley. These regions offer dark fruit and well integrated tannin development. Merlot and Malbec are sourced from Yountville, Carneros and Rutherford which lend to the lush fruit components and weight. Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot come from the more northern Pope Valley AVA that allows for longer hang time and more evolved fruit development. Girard’s Petite Verdot vineyards tend to be their last fruit brought in, allowing for very complex character and tannin development. The Girard Artistry is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec, 9% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot. The grapes were hand sorted, both in the vineyard and prior to crush. Fermentation was closely monitored for proper temperature and aromatic/flavor development. Twice daily pumpovers helped the fermentation which led the development of the unique aromatics and flavors. After fermentation was complete, barrels were chosen from a selection of 40 different types to add unique character to each lot. After approximately 22 months in 100% French Oak (35% new), the blend was meticulously put together from the best lots of the vintage. The Artistry nose showcases vanilla bean, perfumed herbs, raspberry/blackberry traits with a touch of toasted nuts. On the palate, the black fruit comes forward with layered black currant and blackberry. Mocha and vanilla are accented with spice and toasted oak sweetness. Tannins are well developed and should integrate further as the wine decants or is allowed cellar time.
Girard Artistry 2012
Pasta Course 24 Hour Braised Pork Shoulder & Tomato Ragout (Spicy tomato-garlic nage with cappellini basket, shaved regianno parmesan and micro herbs)
Petite Sirah is one of the most sought after wines at Girard. Fans of the varietal look to their version for not only the dark colored, intense tannins that Petite Sirah is known for, but also for balanced fruit and oak character. Girard sources their vineyards from throughout the northern part of the Napa Valley. The warmer climate from this area helps develop ripeness, while the soil types contribute to the wine’s overall complexity. The Girard Petite Sirah is 89% Petite Sirah and 11% Zinfandel. After a lengthy fermentation, skins were removed so as to not over-extract the tannin and to help develop more of the complex fruit that this varietal offers. A blend of barrels from France, America and Hungary were chosen to add yet another layer of complexity. This wine has aromas of black cherry, coffee beans, bacon and vanilla. The palate shows black currant jam, cassis, chocolate covered expresso beans and nutmeg. Bright acidity wraps around the fruit to evoke a balanced character.
Girard Petit Syrah 2013