The Biale family, immigrants from Northern Italy, began growing grapes in Napa in the 1930's – Zinfandel only. Zinfandel, California's adopted grape, was widely planted by immigrants throughout the state's history as a highly flavorful red grape well-suited for its expansive range of arid climates and diverse soils. In the 1940's Aldo Biale sold bottles of illicit homemade Zinfandel known as "Black Chickens" over his party line phone service.
In Napa Valley, market pressure for Cabernet Sauvignon and other French varieties has now made Zinfandel a rare variety comprising less that 3% of the valley's grape production.
Committed to the tradition of farming Zinfandel, Aldo Biale and son Robert decided in 1991 to form a partnership with Marketer Dave Pramuk and set a goal of producing a world-class wine from the oldest Zinfandel vines on the Biale ranch in Napa's Oak Knoll District.
The inaugural wine was a quantity of 400 cases produced from 8 acres of old non-irrigated low-yielding vines called "Aldo's Vineyard." Now, under the direction of Bob Biale, Dave Pramuk, and winemaker Steve Hall, Biale has established itself in the Cabernet Sauvignon saturated Napa Valley as a sort of renegade/ heritage-driven house of Zinfandel – making a series of wines of distinctly different personalities that resonate with the ultimate expressions of their sites – some being among the oldest vineyards in America.
Unusual for Zinfandel, Biale has established a house style utilizing intensive old world Burgundian methodology from vineyard to barrel to bottle that combines elegance and balance, with Zinfandel's natural vibrance and intensity.
With 20 Zinfandels nearly 20 years later, Biale is recognized internationally by writers and sommeliers as being among California's very finest producers of Zinfandel – the wines being featured on A-restaurant wine lists from coast to coast. Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, Food and Wine, and Decanter have all lauded Biale as one of California's top practitioners of Zinfandel.
In addition to Zinfandel, Biale is recognized for producing blockbuster and ageworthy red wines from another California heritage variety – Petite Sirah, plus small lots of Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Rhone blends, and Sauvignon Blanc.
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California » Napa Valley
Wine Spectator 92 "Brooding and distinctive, with dark blackberry, licorice and Chinese five-spice powder flavors that build speed toward big but polished tannins. Best from 2020
Tasting Notes "The Oak Knoll winegrowing region is prevalent in this wine with its dark color, ripe aromatics and juicy acidity. The nose is full of
Wine Advocate 92 "The 2015 Petite Sirah Royal Punishers is inky purple-black in color with a warm plums, blueberries and cherries-scented nose with touches of spice
Wine Enthusiast 93 "This perennial favorite lives up to its word-of-mouth goodness, offering fistfuls of blueberry and huckleberry with a juicy length and throughput of acidity.
" The Black Chicken is named after the secret Prohibition call sign for wine when people would call Aldo Biale on the old "party line".
Stephen Tanzer 92 " Bright, dark red. Back cherry, pepper, spices and a whiff of orange peel on the nose. Lush, sweet and glyceral,
"Deep, layered, ethereal, and silky, the Aldos is appreciated by Zin afficianados for its gentle "pillowy" texture and dark and exotic black fruit character. In
Wine Spectator 92 "Ripe, plush and juicy notes of cherry, wild raspberry and blackberry are impressive for their density and polish, showing aromatic details of violet,
Wine Spectator 92 "A couple hundred yards away from Aldo's Vineyard, directly behind Aldo's home, is a different vineyard whose grapes produce a different wine with
" The 2011 Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard is plush, deep and beautifully balanced. The wine opens with a burst of dark fruit that follows through
Wine Spectator 92 "Dense and rich, offering aromas of huckleberry and loamy white pepper and layered flavors of black cherry and toasty vanilla, with ripe but
Wine Spectator 91 "Tight in the aroma but more expansive on the palate, where it reveals a dense, concentrated range of earthy currant, leather, sage, beef
"This blackish purple wine shows currant, blackberry, dried fruit, molasses, berry jam and vanilla flavors on its luscious mid-palate. Supple, young tannins emerge on
Robert Parker 93 "The 2011 Petite Sirah Royal Punishers’ inky purple color is followed by a big, sweet nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, gorgeous volume
Wine Spectator 93 "Fragrant, charming and powerful, with dense, chewy tannins at the core and a complex array of flavors. Starts with a baseline of Earl
Stephen Tanzer 90 "Bright red-ruby. Crushed blueberry, black plum, pepper and spices on the slightly high-toned nose; a real essence of zinfandel. Silky on
Wine Spectator 88 Fragrant and complex, with mustard seed, black pepper, raspberry and tangy plum flavors. Crisp structure and cedar tones linger on the earthy finish.
"Napa Ranches is a top-notch Zinfandel blend sourced from Aldo's and Black Chicken in Napa, Old Crane in St. Helena, Stagnaro in Calistoga, and Priest
Robert Parker 91 "There are 400 cases of the 2004 Zinfandel from the famed Monte Rosso vineyard now owned by Gallo. Its deep plum/ruby/purple color is
Robert Parker 92 "The Rhone Valley-like 2002 Zinfandel Napa Ranches exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with an opulent, sexy personality revealing loads of raspberries, wild
Robert Parker 95 "The 2006 Petite Sirah Thomann Station (named after an old railroad stop in St. Helena) exhibits a similar black purple color along with
"This blackish purple wine shows currant, blackberry, dried fruit, molasses, berry jam and vanilla flavors on its luscious mid-palate. Supple, young tannins emerge on
"This blackish purple wine shows currant, blackberry, dried fruit, molasses, berry jam and vanilla flavors on its luscious mid-palate. Supple, young tannins emerge on
"So, now we know. For a long time in California nobody really knew exactly what Petite Sirah was other than that it was a widely
"The 2006 Zinfandel Old Crane Ranch (15.9% alcohol) offers powerful, dense, heady aromas and flavors of dried Provencal herbs intermixed with licorice, briery fruit, black