Critical Acclaim — Vintage 2023
Wine Spectator — 94 Points
"Jammy and generous, with bold aromatics, this red is a pleasure to drink, offering polished cherry and blackberry tart flavors accented by briar patch and licorice as this zips along the lively finish. Drink now through 2034."
Wine Enthusiast — 93 Points (Elaine Chukan Brown)
"A Napa classic, the Black Chicken Zinfandel relies on vineyards in cooler parts of the region, here harvested from a cooler vintage as well. The combination delivers complexity, detail and plenty of flavor: juicy mixed berries and plum, citrus peel, incense and savory length complete with refreshing verve and well balanced structure."
Jeb Dunnuck — 90 Points
"Offering brambly red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with peppery herbs, sandalwood, and savory, flowery incense, the 2023 Zinfandel Black Chicken is medium-bodied, nicely balanced, has ripe tannins, and a good finish."
Winemaker Description
The 2023 Black Chicken is the 25th-anniversary release of this iconic Napa Valley wine — and one of the most celebrated vintages in the wine’s history. A remarkably cool and balanced growing season produced a wine of exceptional complexity, detail, and structure.
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, orange peel, plum, and baking spices, all driven to a long finish by balanced acidity.
The Black Chicken Story
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, keeping nosy neighbors and the authorities from finding out about Aldo’s underground Zinfandel operation. Legally produced since 1999, Black Chicken Zinfandel pays homage to the industrious patriarch of the Biale family and the prominence of Zinfandel in the history of Napa Valley.
The heart of Black Chicken is sourced from vineyards in the Oak Knoll District — among them the same family vineyard Aldo, Nonna, Bob, and the Biale family have farmed since the 1930s. Black Chicken stands as the quintessential expression of Zinfandel from the Napa Valley.
2023 Vintage Notes
The 2023 season was one of the coolest vintages in more than a decade. Several years of drought were erased in a single season as rains began just after the 2022 harvest and continued through spring 2023. Ample groundwater and cool temperatures delayed budbreak until April, with flowering in mid-May. Moderate temperatures through spring and summer allowed for balanced maturation — picking at the perfect intersection of flavor, sugar, acid, and tannin maturity. Harvesting began with earlier sites in September, with moderate heat in early October accelerating picking through the end of the month.
Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, BBQ brisket, lamb chops, wild boar, aged cheddar, and hearty pasta with meat sauce. A quintessential Napa Zinfandel built for bold, flavorful food.
Product Details
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Producer: Robert Biale Vineyards
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Appellation: Oak Knoll District AVA, Napa Valley
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Grape: 100% Zinfandel
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Farming: Practicing sustainable, head-trained, dry-farmed vines
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Soils: Ancient marine sediments and rocky alluvial fan
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Harvest: Hand-harvested
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Fermentation: Open-top fermenters, 2–4-day cold soak, 2–3 punch-downs daily
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Aging: 16 months in 100% Burgundy oak barrels (25% new)
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Vintage: 2023 (25th Anniversary Release)
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Production: 6,000 cases
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Drink: Now through 2034
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Format: 750ml
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