A Cult Producer in Napa...Of Zin: Robert Biale Vineyards Stands Out in the Land of Cabernet

I like a place that specializes. Visiting a Winery with a "thing" is really helpful on a number of fronts. First, I've got a place to put them in my brain. This may be why I'm such a European wine lover. The grapes and styles are regulated by the government in large part so you can judge one against another pretty easily. Second and related, I'm tasting things that are in the same vein so it's easier to gauge the style of the winery and what I think of it. If a place makes wine from every grape under the sun, I question how well they can do any one in particular.

So I was excited to head to Robert Biale (said like my favorite bagel alternative, "bialy") right on the outskirts of the city of Napa. Zin is their "thing" and they do it well.

 
The Winery started as a family farm in 1937. They produced Zinfandel grapes, mostly for sale but the teenage Aldo Biale was enterprising and held a bit back for experimental winemaking. He did a great job and shared it with a few friends and customers who bought other products from the farm. It was good stuff so word spread in Napa. But this was a small time operation so to keep the bootlegging under wraps from those eavesdropping on the party line phone the Biales used, those in the know got their jug of Zin by asking for a "black chicken."  Today, "black chicken" is a wine, a wine club, and an important part of the heritage of Robert Biale.

From 1937 through 1991 the Biales only sold wine to family friends. Finally, in 1991 Aldo, his son Robert and two other partners bonded the Winery and started selling wine to the public. Since then, they've become a bit of a cult Zinfandel producer. In a valley dominated by Cabernet (only 3% is planted to Zin), Biale stays true to the heritage of Napa, which is thought to have produced some of the first Zin in the US.

The Winery has great hospitality and it's conveniently located just outside of the city of Napa. The tasting room was lively and welcoming, and the vineyards were so pretty. What a great place to spend our morning!

One important caveat before I get to the wine: Like some of the other places we visited, this is a small production winery and they sell out of stuff quickly (they produce about 20 different Zinfandels and 10,000 cases of wine per year -- pretty small for Napa!). The wine is distributed in some places around the US, but if you see it, you better get it while you can.

Here's the lineup:

Wine #1: 2010 Pollo Bianco Sauvignon Blanc, $22

Like you, I was thinking - "Hey, I thought Zin was their thing!" I was skeptical, but..

Color: A very pale wine with a slight golden tint, I was happy to see and hear that it wasn't a Fumé Blanc, aged in oak (I'm kind of against oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc because I think it takes away from the awesome flavor of the grape. Napa is known for liking it's oak, so this was a refreshing twist).

Smell: Almost like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this was spicy -- like a jalapeño pepper -- and had lots of grapefruit aromas and a strong mineral smell too. It didn't have any of the light floral aromatics I usually associate with Napa Sauv Blanc...and I liked it.

Taste: The wine was really dangerous. It was so light and refreshing. There was a green pepper note, and it tasted like green leaf lettuce in a salad. You could easily drink an entire bottle of this stuff and not think twice.

Drink or Sink: Drink. It was a great, differentiated Sauvingon Blanc. Much more in line with the style that I like than the more floral and sometimes oaky styles of other Napa producers, it was acidic, citrusy, and minerally.

Wine #2: 2009 Southern Trail Zinfandel, $39
Color: A pretty red plum color. It looked like raspberry juice.
Smell: This was a great smelling Zin and just what I like and expect -- ripe, juicy plum with smoke, black pepper, and a little bit of fresh shaved oak (like when you get wood cut at Loews).
Taste: The wine tasted like it smelled, but it had a lot of texture. It was kind of acidic and the alcohol was slightly off the chart. I got a burn, similar to taking a shot of vodka.
Drink or sink?: Drink. The wine was good, but I wouldn't call it great. The alcohol and acid stuck out a little too much and overshadowed the fruit. I wish the winemaker had tempered these a little bit -- the wine could have been amazing without these factors. It was hard to find all the nuance under the alcohol.

Wine #3: 2009 Aldo's Vineyard Zinfandel, $75

Color: This was a deep, rich almost purple color. It was like prune juice -- a super dark crimson center with really thick legs from high alcohol. When I swirled it, it stained the glass. This was going to be a heavy hitter from the looks of it.

Smell: Great aromatics. The wine had awesome plum and black cherry fruit smells and it was spicy like a pepper mill. It was also a little gamey -- like a farm. I was liking this more and more!

Taste: Now, this is a Zin. It had a rich plum, raspberry briar (kind of wild and outdoor-like) thing and then a ton of black pepper spice, nutmeg, and clove flavors. It had a touch of bitterness from the pronounced tannins, and it was an alcohol bomb, but everything was in harmony so the alcohol didn't overwhelm the wine.

Drink or sink?: Drink. This is a very good Zin. Although a little pricey, I liked the fact that it wasn't all fruit and alcohol, but had some earth and great spice too. This is a huge step up from the previous wine and proves Robert Biale completely deserving of it's place as a top Zin producer.

Wine #4: 2008 Thomann Station Petite Sirah, $55

Unlike a lot of Petite Sirah that's frequently blended with Zin, this version is 100% Petite Sirah. Named for the old train station in St. Helena, this was a big-ass wine.

Color: No two ways about it -- this wine was purple with a purple rim and super thick legs. Petite Sirah is no shrinking violet -- big in every way, including color. This was on the money for what this wine should be.

Smell: A full, rich smell that was more like dark flowers than anything else. There were blueberry and blackberry notes too, and it burned the inside of my nose -- that's alcohol, for you.

Taste: This wine was super concentrated in flavor, really intense and rich in those dark berry flavors. You could chew on the tannins for days -- my cheeks felt chapped from them. The flavor stuck around for ages too. This is a ballsy wine and not for people that shrink from bold fruit and tannin.

Drink or sink?: Drink. Although I love a subtle wine, you've got to appreciate Petite Sirah for what it is -- rich, powerful, and in your face. Even more so than Zinfandel, this wine is brawny and unapologetic for being fruity, tannic, and a little rustic. I don't think I've had a better example than this one. Hats off Robert Biale for making an ideal Petit Sirah! This was my favorite of the day. 

Thanks to everyone at Robert Biale for their hospitality, especially Scott who took a million pictures for us and Austin who took time to hang out (in a small world coincidence, MC Ice does business with his dad! Worlds colliding!). We had a great time -- good wine and it's such a laid back, pleasant place to mellow out for a while. If you're a Zin or Petite Sirah fan, Robert Biale is a must! 

Have you been here or had the wines? Post a comment here or on Facebook and let me know what you thought!