September 4, 2022 - On the first night open, this wine was still drinking well and was delicious with good acidity to back up the plush dark cherry and plum Zin flavors. On the second night (tonight), the nose is lending some prune scents, more oxidative, and some of this appears again in the finish. Besides those incumbrances, the wine still fills the palate with tasty, if turned tertiary, fruit con dried fruit rollup. The fruit that went into these Biale Zins was special and a notch the superior (and senior) to any number of big-fruit, bombastic, oaken, peer Zinfandel wines from the era. I just recently rejoined the Turley mailing list, and my allotment is imminent. I'm looking forward to enjoying some well made CA old vine Zinfandel, a varietal that I've gotten away from over the past decade but have been pining for greatly this Summer. Maybe 2020 isn't the vintage to jump in on, but I suspect it'll work out fine.
May 25, 2015 - Not bad, but this one seemed a bit past its prime.
December 19, 2014 - W osso bucco. Lovely color, still fresh. Nose was older and worried me a bit but once open half hour this showed well. No fruitbomb here, good solid zin with all the flavors. Pepper, red fruit, tartness. Great combo with the food and it stood up. Yummy.
December 24, 2013 - Beautiful nose of cherries and plums. Big fruit on the palate - still solid after 7 years. Needed 45-60 min to open up.
December 8, 2013 - One of a couple bottles I recently purchased on WineBid. Drinking much better now than bottles of the same vintage I had a couple of years ago. Elegant and well balanced now. Soft, spicy, red fruit, with some subtle earthy and gamey notes. Has a nice acid backbone, which is probably what kept it going.
August 24, 2013 - I'm getting used to the fact that the fruit in the Black Chicken Zins is sufficient to match the high alcoholic content. They come across to me as balanced wines. This drank much smoother than a 2006 Joseph Swan Trenton Station Zin--(perhaps the Joseph Swan was a flawed bottle?) and was popular at a church fundraiser winetasting. One participant did prefer the Joseph Swan Zin. I have liked all Black Chicken Zins I've tried.
June 3, 2013 - black and red cherry, some underlying raisin notes but not fruit isn't overcooked or roasted. slight oak/vanillin notes on finish with black pepper.
October 14, 2012 - Tymen here. With grilled flanksteak. This was very good as the rough edges are gone and fruit is good. Nice balanced zin without the spice. Great color, decent finish. Wont get better but it shows that biale zins need 5 yrs.
July 11, 2012 - Drank an 06 over two night July 8/9. Good fruit, but definitely in drinking window. Night 2 started to lose some stuffing, but still had tannin and body. Thoughts - drink in the earlier years and finish off no later than 7 yrs old
June 24, 2012 - A great wine that is still in its prime. Lots of black fruit on the palate with slow legs and a long finish.