2019 Biale Vineyards ‘Black Chicken’ Zinfandel Napa Valley

WSI94 The wine is well-balanced, offering a medium body and lots of deep rich dark fruit, mostly blackberry and caramel notes brightened gently by red cassis spikes throughout the medium long finish. A very well-balanced and enjoyable wine!

Sourced primarily from Biale’s estate vineyards in the Oak Knoll district, this wine is round and plush with a gentle grip of perfectly ripe tannins. A spectrum of red and dark fruits– raspberries, cherries, blackberries, bright vivid aromas, fine-grained texture, star anise,  black and white pepper, cocoa, subtle nuanced oak. Age worthy, compelling, decadent: a beautifully proportioned Napa Valley Zinfandel.

Sourced from the same family vineyard that Aldo, Nonna, Bob Biale and the Biale family have farmed their whole lives, with additional grapes from our neighboring winery vineyard in the Oak Knoll District, Black Chicken stands as the ultimate expression of Zinfandel from the cool southern Napa Valley, and perhaps the most famous icon of Napa Valley Zinfandel in general.

A long, warm summer and mild finish to the season. The beginning of the 2019 growing season was defined by copious rainfall and late soil moisture. The season saw very few extreme heat events, with foggy mornings setting the stage for vibrant and expressive wines. The relatively mild finish to the season, not without its moments of unpredictability, helped to preserve freshness and finesse in the fruit with abundant hang time teasing out great color, structure and soft tannins. Volume is looking to be about average to a little less than average. All in all, exceptional fruit with bright acidity and ample texture promises an amazing vintage. Ageability: If cellared well, this wine will continue to improve for the next 3-5 years.