Vintage Notes

The 2017 growing season was not like the past few vintages; it wasn’t particularly “easy” or “by the book” but it was an opportunity flex our grape growing and wine making skills and we remain proud of the highquality wine we produced in this vintage. The year began with abundant rainfall. Spring weather was mild, resulting in extended flowering. A freak hail storm passed through quickly in June causing isolated damage. A warm summer was punctuated by three heat events, including one over Labor Day weekend, which kicked harvest into high gear by early September. Cool weather arrived immediately afterward, allowing sugar levels to return to normal and affording the grapes additional hangtime on the vine.

Winemaker Notes

This Petite Sirah has developed into a very sought-after wine in the Girard portfolio with fans of the variety looking to our bottling for the characteristic heady perfume, inky dark color, intense tannins and balanced oak integration.

Tasting Notes

The nose reveals concentrated aromas of blackberry, jasmine tea, dusty earth and tobacco. The palate is dense with flavors of jammy blackberry, raspberry and fig. The finish reveals essences of oak influence—spice, vanilla and a savory hint of barrel toast. The tannins are bold, ripe and integrated, creating a lingering and mouth-coating finish.