More About Robert Biale Black Chicken Napa Valley Zinfandel. Step back in time with Biale's iconic Black Chicken Zinfandel, a wine deeply entrenched in Napa Valley's rich historical tapestry. Eighty years ago, during the stringent times of Prohibition, poultry farmer Aldo Biale ingeniously secured his family's financial survival. Utilizing a covert operation, he sold their homemade Zinfandel under a veil of secrecy. To maintain discretion due to party-line telephones, he ingeniously nicknamed it the "Black Chicken." Today, this tribute to bootlegging days stands as Biale's flagship wine, embodying resilience and exemplary winemaking skill. At the core of Black Chicken is the careful selection of grapes from ancient, head-trained vines. These venerable vines, cherished and cultivated with generations of accumulated viticultural knowledge, require diligent hand-harvesting to ensure each cluster reaches uniform ripeness. The outcome is a rich, harmonious symphony of flavors, crafted from the finest grapes. The 2022 vintage of Black Chicken was created through a revered traditional method, undergoing fermentation in open-top tanks and then maturing in French oak barrels for 16 months. This deliberate and graceful aging process allows the wine to achieve its optimal expression. The 2022 vintage emerges as a masterpiece, with its vibrant fruit notes, a sophisticated palette of intricate flavors, and smooth, velvety tannins. This impeccably crafted Zinfandel offers a memorable tasting experience, designed to be thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated.