Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a terrific site on Pritchard Hill, the 2021 Zinfandel Stagecoach Vineyard is deeper hued and has a more substantial, structured style in its darker red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, violets, and orange blossom aromatics. I love its purity, it's medium-bodied, has fine tannins, and great finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Blackberries and black cherries light up the aroma of this bold, flavorful wine before identical, focused black fruits hit the palate with good concentration and depth. Moderate tannins and a full body form an appetizing structure for this dramatic wine
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James Suckling
Crushed berries, plum skins, dried herbs and hints of coffee liqueur on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied and juicy with vivid acidity and powdery tannins. Succulent finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From relatively young vines by Zinfandel standards (this block was planted to heritage selections in 1999), Biale's 2021 Zinfandel Stagecoach Vineyard features a fun mix of red raspberries and blackberries, with hints of citrus and black tea in the mix. Aged similarly to the other Zins in the lineup (10 months in French oak, 25% new), it shows the cedary wood a bit more, and combined with the site's inherent structure, the resulting tannins are a bit firm at the moment. Rating: 90+
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Wine & Spirits
A generous zin with a contrast of candied- and sour-cherry flavors, this is supple, black and brown, ending on dusty grape-skin tannins that give it shape and a bite, for flank steak.
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Wine Spectator
Taut like a Cabernet in structure, with sinewy tannins framing black currant, black olive and stony mineral flavors. Best from 2024 through 2032. 739 cases made.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.