Aged Zinfandel is where it’s at

Zinfandel gets a bad rap sometimes by people in the wine community. When I first started drinking wine I couldn’t get enough of it. It was high in alcohol, sugary, and I couldn’t find 10 dollar bottles of it at the long lost grocery store, Fresh and Easy. After getting deeper into the wine world my pallet changed and I found it difficult to slay cheap zin on a weekend.

Robert Biale is an absolute gem to the Napa valley. With a trip to the winery they offer a handful of single vineyard Zinfandels and also a focus on other fun Italian varietals planted in the Napa Valley. This practicular bottle was purchased from the winery. A 2013 Bed Rock Vinyard. 2013 being a rockstar vintage for Napa Valley I assumed the majority of Zinfandel had been dranken up by this point. Additionally Bed Rock is another winery I’ve only had once before and in similar respects to Biale they also have an emphasis on single plots of Zinfandel.

The wine itself out of the bottle smelt like high quality Bordeaux. The nose is rich with leather and potting soil. The fruit quality of the wine was taking a back row seat compared to the earth components but showed a developed quality that integrated perfectly. Usage of oak is never over the top with Biale’s wines, I would suspect something between 20 to 30 percent new oak. This wine was a perfect example of how well great wine making practices come together to make a perfect balance.