Robert Biale - Zinfandel Black Chicken 2023 (750ml)
Price: $59.99
| Producer | Robert Biale |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Varietal | Zinfandel |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Sku | 206179 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Since 1937, the Biale family has grown Zinfandel along with assorted other varieties on their farm just outside the town of Napa. Their Zins are famous for a certain breed of intensity and power- the kind you get when you restrict yields to only the best, most concentrated, fully ripe fruit each vintage. "Black Chicken" gets its name from Aldo Biale, who used the name as a code word when he started making the wine on the sly in the '40s and didn't want other members of his family to know. Black Chicken is primarily sourced from Biale's Oak Knoll District ranch estate. Grab some of this limited gem before it disappears!
Robert Biale Description
Showing the influence of the breezy and fog-laced Oak Knoll District, the wine offers rich, plush fruit, delicate acidity and a structure defined by well-ripened, fine-grained tannins. Vibrant aromas of black cherry, dried herbs, and sandalwood on the nose. Expansive on the palate with notes of blackberry,
The 2023 season was one of the coolest vintages in more than a decade that, as time progressed, showed all the markings of the spectacular vintage that ended up in the bottle. Several years of drought were erased in a single season as rains began just after the completion of the 2022 harvest and continued through the spring of 2023. Ample ground water and cool temperatures delayed budbreak until April with flowering in mid-May. Moderate temperatures through the spring and summer allowed for balanced maturation across all vineyards - allowing us to pick at the perfect intersections of flavor, sugar, acid, and tannin maturity. Harvesting at Robert Biale began with earlier sites in September while moderate heat at the start of October accelerated picking that lasted through the end of the month.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
The Biale Zinfandel Black Chicken (its name coming from the code name used when ordering a jug of Zinfandel during the Prohibition era) is another relatively big-boned Zinfandel at 15.3% alcohol. Gorgeously proportioned, textured and almost chewy, this stunningly hedonistic and fleshy, flamboyant Zinfandel delivers abundant glycerin, fruit, quality and personality. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. ..One of the top Zinfandel specialists in Northern California, Robert Biale’s 2014 Zinfandels are all relatively large-scaled wines, ranging from the mid- to upper-14% alcohol levels to mid-15s
