Robert Biale - Black Chicken Zinfandel 2020 (750ml)

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Price: $54.95

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Producer	Robert Biale
Country	United States
Region	California
Subregion	Napa Valley
Varietal	Zinfandel
Vintage	2020
Sku	82839
Size	750ml

 

About Biale

Perfecting the old California classics, Robert Biale Vineyards has become a revered standard of heritage vineyard Zinfandel and Petite Sirah in Napa Valley. From the wineries’ inception, the Biale Founders have cherished the tradition of historic old vines (some dating to the 1880s!) and prize the small quantity of concentrated and intense fruit that they produce. Diligent farming, expressive terroir, and superb elegance are the winery’s hallmarks. Among the winery’s portfolio of 20 wines that Winemaker Tres Goetting crafts, Black Chicken Zinfandel is the flagship–and has become a benchmark for the varietal.
 

It all started in the 1940s when 14-year-old Aldo Biale helped his mother make ends meet by selling to insider Napans–along with eggs and produce–some of the family’s homemade Zinfandel. Over the old “party line” phone system, the code words “a Black Chicken” signified a jug of bootleg wine…and kept nosy neighbors and the authorities from finding out about Aldo’s underground Zinfandel operation!

About 'Black Chicken' 2020

Conditions were ideal at the start of 2020, with mild temperatures that led to evenly developed clusters. The low winter rainfall resulted in small berries with concentrated flavor. Following an early budbreak and warm summer, harvest kicked off at the beginning of August. Although challenged by two wildfires during the harvest, most wineries decided to make only the best wines from their small lots, and Biale did just that. We hope that you will enjoy these wines that express the promise anticipated by the conditions of the early growing season.

Winemaking

Our winemaking begins with meticulous attention to detail and close monitoring in the vineyard. Our philosophy is to focus on the fruit in our vineyards all season long so that when the grapes arrive at our cellar, only minimalistic vinification is needed. We want our wines to speak firmly to the place and soils from which they are grown.

At harvest, the fruit is hand-picked and sorted to ensure that only the best fruit makes it into the fermenter. The grapes are crushed, and gravity fed into the open-top tanks. The must is cold soaked for 2 to 4 days at 50°F and then inoculated with commercial yeast strains. For color and tannin extraction, we perform 2 to 3 punch downs per day. Fermentation is typically completed after 14 to 16 days at a maximum temperature of 86°F. At dryness, we lightly press and store the wine into 100% Burgundy oak barrels (20% new), where malolactic fermentation is completed. The wine is aged for up to 14 months.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: This wine is round and plush with perfectly ripe tannins and bright aromas of red and dark fruit – raspberries, cherries, and blackberries – star anise, black and white pepper, cocoa, and subtle, nuanced oak.

Additional notes

Sourced from the original family vineyard that Aldo, Nonna, Bob, and the Biale family have farmed since the 1930s, with additional grapes from our Oak Knoll District Vineyard, Black Chicken represents the ultimate expression of Napa Valley Zinfandel from this cool, southern region.