Friday, December 16, 2011

Giradet Vineyard and Winery - Roseburg, Oregon



 After visiting Pyrenees Vineyard and Cellars in the Umpqua Valley my next stop on my second day of wine tasting in Southern Oregon was at Giradet (pronounced “Jee-ar-day”) Vineyards and Winery. 

While visiting the tasting room I was able to meet both the founder of the winery Philippe Girardet and his son Marc Girardet who is the current wine maker and talk to him about their wines. THAT is one of the advantages of visiting small family-owned wineries, it is not uncommon to be able to meet the artisans that make the very wine you are tasting.


While talking to Philippe he pointed to a panoramic picture of his home town on the wall where he learned the art of handcrafting wine back home in Switzerland working on his great uncle’s vineyard. Philippe and his wife Bonnie Girardet established the winery and vineyards in 1971 and his first vintage of commercially released in 1983, and the following year received two silver medals at the Oregon State Fair.

I was also able to talk to Philippe’s son and the current winemaker, Marc Girardet, who learned the family business from his father and then in 1999, at age of 24, he became the youngest winemaker in the state. We talked a bit about what it is like to grow up in the wine business and how it is not until one gets away from it that the family wine heritage is truly appreciated. Marc went off to college to study computer programming and business accounting, but then returned to become a wine maker because although it entails a lot of hard physical labor, it seemed to him to be a lot more fun working outdoors and in the elements rather than being stuck behind a desk in an office building.

And I must add… that hard work and family heritage of wine making bearing good fruit as I did not leave Giradet Vineyards disappointed.

While visiting I tasted two white wines and five red wines:

My first wine was the 2009 Chardonnay. It was served a bit too cold (a common theme in tasting rooms this time of year) but after swirling the glass and warming it my hands for a while I was able to coax some floral notes, followed by red apples, canned pears and a hint of oak. On the plate it has a slight creaminess to it and yet maintains good acidity. A fair priced wine at $15 a bottle.

My next white wine was the 2011 Riesling (Estate Grown) from which I picked up apricots, peaches, canned peaches and a noticeable minerality.  Another fair priced wine at $15 a bottle.

My first red wine was the 2008 Pinot Noir, Barrel Select. Dried roses, black cherries, and a hint of cinnamon. I wish I had my Pinot Noir stemware with me but unfortunately left them at home. This wine was just “okay” which is what I expect for Pinots in the $20 price range.


My second red wine was the 2008 Bonnie’s Barrel Zinfandel. A lighter style zin that seems like its Italian cousin, Primativo. This is not you “over the top” jammy styled zin that are common in the central valley and Sierra foothills of California. On the nose I picked up dried plums, licorice and a hint of pepper and mouth watering acidity on the palate. So if that is how you like ‘em, you’ll like this one for $29 a bottle.

My third was…. interesting… the 2008 14 Vines Field Blend a “secret, old family recipe using 14 different grapes” It was originally called “Vin Maison Rouge” and later “Grand Rouge” and although there is no indication as to what is in the blend a “reliable informant” said that there it contains Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Syrah amongst other grapes… but that’s just a rumor. This wine sort of reminds me of a Super Tuscan, it’s a deep dark wine with earthy-chocolate aromas followed tart dried cherries and some spice and a whole lotta other things I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It is a little out of focus as it seems like it is fighting with itself as to what flavors are going to become dominant. But… for $14, it ain’t a bad pizza wine.

My next wine was THE reason why I chose to visit Giradet Vineyards. For me, travelling the wine country is about seeing the vistas, meeting the people, learning about the winemakers and getting a “sense of place” where the wine comes from. But it is also about being on the hunt for something new and different to expand the palate. So the next red was the 2009 Baco Noir which I had never heard of let alone tasted before. Baco Noir is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinifera var var, Folle Blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America and it is the brain child of French hybridizer, Francois Baco. On the nose I picked up wild berries, mocha, red plums and a hint of vanilla. It is a very bold wine and yet soft on the palate and medium bodied with good acidity. It reminds me of a cross between Zinfandel and Sangiovese. I brought two of them home to share with friends at $25 a bottle.

My final red wine was the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Somewhat green in character on the nose that tells me “I’m a cool climate cab.” I picked up red currants, red plums, bell pepper, eucalyptus, mint and anise. An “okay” Cab for $19 a bottle but I prefer more black fruits and earthy/tobacco tones in my Cabs.

The final wine in the line-up was the 2008 Frostbite Gewurztraminer. On the nose this wine has aromas of honey, canned pears, fresh peaches, and dried pineapples. On the palate it is somewhat weighty and viscous, delightfully sweet and has a very long fruit cocktail finish. A nice wine for $25 a bottle.

To visit or for more information:

Pyrenees Vineyard and Cellars – South
15332 Old Highway 99 S.
Myrtle Creek, Oregon 97457
Phone: 1-541-863-7797
 

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