Robert Biale Royal Punishers Petite Sirah

Winemaking came early to Aldo Biale. At the ripe old age of 14 he was already selling illicit homemade wine to help support the family farm following the death of his father. His customers would make orders over the communal “party-line” (a local loop telephone circuit that is shared by multiple households). Aldo was keenly aware of the illegality of this extra income. To cover his tracks Aldo gave his wine a codename: Black Chicken (a cheeky reference to the symbol of Chianti, il Gallo Nero). In 1991 Aldo partnered with his son Robert and marketeer Dave Pramuk to found Robert Biale Vineyards. Their inaugural vintage of 400 cases of wine was made from 3 hectares of old vines called “Aldo’s Vineyard”. When Aldo passed in 2009 the wine world mourned a founding father of Californian wine. Today Robert and Dave work together with winemaker Trester “Tres” Goetting to make agewrothy examples of old-vine Zinfandel from sites around Napa Valley.

"Petite Sirah was the most commonly planted grape in Napa Valley for nearly a century and now we are witnessing a resurgence and new appreciation for this historic hero variety! Known for its dark color, firm structure, and deep blue and black fruit flavors, it is perfectly suited to Napa Valley’s moderate and dry growing season. The 2018 Royal Punishers has a deep, blackish blue color profile. Aromas of currants, blueberry, quince, violets, figs, molasses and graphite. The entry is weighty with a broad mid-palate structure which has layers of ripe, black fruit flavors. The oak profile is balanced and the tannins are medium grained which hold the fruit profile and carry a long, lingering finish." - Robert Biale Vineyards