Robert Biale, Royal Punishers Petite Sirah, Napa Valley

The fruit is a bit of a punisher. Very dark dense wine. Probably too much, but if you're in the mood.... The richness overpowers the fruit

2016 vintage

Ready to drink.

2016 vintage

Time had been very good to this wine. Tannins gone, rich but not overdone fruit, deep purple and lingers.

2016 vintage

Tasted after a single aeration & a half hour decant. Dark inky ruby in colour with lovely aromas of leather, chocolate & liquorice. On the palate, full bodied, tart & juicy black fruit, cassis/blackberry, chocolate, floral, well integrated oak, medium acidity, high soft tannins with a long finish to leather & black pepper. Rich, mellow & decadent!

2016 vintage

Might have been better on night two. Don't know if it will improve with age. Certainly not as brash as previously.

2016 vintage

Still needs a short decant with sediment. Always a solid wine. www.winelx.com

2016 vintage

Solid, not spectacular. Probably a good value at ~$35/bottle.

2016 vintage

Blackberry, red cherry, black cherry, herbs, a little graphite, and earth on the nose. Blackberries, tart cherries, cranberries, plums, spice, earth, ink, and minerals on the palate. Juicy acidity, grippy, slightly coating tannins, medium finish. There's a really nice lift of red fruit and acidity that cuts through the dense dark fruit and alcohol. Really nice.

2016 vintage

Very good, not near the end of its drinking window. New world full bodied wine with pleasant black and blue fruit that improves with air.

2016 vintage

Drank about a week ago and don't really remember the wine. Unfortunate, as I liked prior vintages and was drinking to see if the wine had "evolved"

2016 vintage

Tasted after a 75 minute decant. Dark opaque ruby in colour with lovely aromas of sweet black fruit, floral, chocolate/liquorice & oak. On the palate, full bodied tart black fruit, blackberry/blueberry/cassis, quite floral, well integrated oak, chocolate, liquorice, medium acidity, high slightly angular tannins with a long finish to pepper & sour black cherry. Petite Sirah is not a shy grape, & this is not a shy wine!

2016 vintage

Didn't wow me as previously, when I bought a case. Solid, opaque, fruit just OK. Maybe will improve in a year or two (hopefully....)

2016 vintage

Still liking the wine and becoming better with age. Still needs to breathe. Average nose. Full bodied concentrated black and blue fruit. Really comes together after about two hours. Will probably hold on drinking more for a year or two. Unless I forget about this tasting note...

2016 vintage

I loved an earlier vintage so bought a case. This is very solid. A full-bodied black and blue wine, not much of a nose, but plenty of respectable fruit. Long finish. But not spectacular.

2016 vintage

Never disappoints

2016 vintage

Could have been a 90 or maybe a 92...it was outstanding to be sure. Great fruit, very balanced with enough acidity to pair well with a 24 hour sous-vide pork shoulder which I’m guessing wouldn’t have been most peoples go to in this situation, but I thought it was a superb match.

2016 vintage

Nose of sweet blackberry, mocha, cedar, and dark chocolate. Dry black fruit provides a sharp contrast from the sweet nose, adding a firm iron ore and earthy bite. Soft tannins, dusty black raspberry, dried herbs and smoke on the finish. Unlike some Biale Petites, this does not seem like a wine for long-term aging. 91 points.

2016 vintage

This is dark inky purple colored, full bodied, big, bold, concentrated with moderate firm structure, the black berry and black raspberry fruits are overtaken by notes of camphor or what Wine Enthusiast noted as 'a touch of heat', on opening that ‘burn off’ after a period of breathing and settling. Accented by notes of graphite and spice, hints of pepper emerged on the firm but approachable tannin laced lingering finish. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/11/biale-royal-punishers-napa-valley_19.html

2016 vintage

Inky purple was the first thing I. Noticed. Deep rich black fruit an incredibly bold but smooth. This is in my top two for petite Syrah with Retro being the other one. Seems like it is built to be drank relatively young, but it has been a while since having a wine that is both delicate and bold with the ability to drink solo, or with food.

2016 vintage

Good clarity, body and color. Soft mouth feel, berries up front through tot the end. Middle to end was some tobacco leaf that was a nice add. Solid wine

2016 vintage

just keeps getting better......

2016 vintage

Great petite syrah

2016 vintage

Second bottle of the night at a (with proper social distancing) Grill Night with another couple. Popped and poured. Was pretty nice, smooth, but still very deep and rich. It didn’t knock my socks off. A nice 90 Pointer, but only a Good QPR.

2016 vintage

Color is inky, good body - soft mouth feel. Not too complex, Light cherry and plum flavors from middle to end. The finish is also soft and stays with you For a few seconds.

2016 vintage

Popped and poured. Vibrant aroma aid black cherry, plum, blackberry, touch of oak. Very nice and enjoyable bottle drinking well now. Low to medium tannins. Drinks well above it’s price.

2016 vintage

Opened and enjoyed. Dark black brooding liquer. Subdued lagoon of blues and blacks. We have blueberry, blackberry, hortleberry and boysenberry galore, wrapped in a thick unctuous syrup. A little muted, lacking freshness and vibrancy, but that's ok - as this is a contemplative wine as opposed to a smacking pleaser. Solid.

2007 vintage

A nose of dark fruits and spice, dark purple in color. A full bodied red blend, with blackberry, black cherry, chocolate and spice on finish, in a good drinking zone. www.winelx.com

2007 vintage

Drinking beautifully now. No aeration, use Syrah glass style.

2007 vintage

Nose of red and black fruits is overwhelmed by smoke and burnt oak. Absolutely massive palate of blackberry, black fruits, smoke, and minerals. Firm, unyielding, tack tannins dry out the mouth with dry blackberry and huge gobs of oak layers that linger on and on. This could have sat another 10 years and maybe still not wound down. The notes don't do it justice. Wow!

2007 vintage

This wine is awesome. Smooth lush tannins that have faded to the background. Lots of fruit left. Very enjoyable seems to be in the perfect drinking window for next couple of years.

2007 vintage

Has developed since the last bottle. The mouthfeel is fuller and there's this aftertaste of cherries and spice that's more pronounced. Really lovely.

2007 vintage

No formal notes: smooth all the way through to some ringing tannins. Unexpectedly good on the PnP. Really not a crime to pop one open now. I know zero about petite sirah, but I'd say this was a winner, even if I'm skimping on describing the flavor profile. Shared with friends and it was gone about as quickly as it took for me to write this tasting note.

2007 vintage

Had to decant for an hour to smooth it out,

2007 vintage

Tasted at winery. A gigantic wine, yet all the components are in balance. Long finish. Just beautiful. You can drink it now, but 15 to 25 years of cellaring will reward the patient, as the massive tannins will subside but I think the equally massive fruit will only become more complex.

2007 vintage

I completely disagree with the drinking window on this wine. It is drinking well right now. Subtle light flavors. Good wine.

2007 vintage

Opaque inky purple fading to dark ruby at the edges. Big, fruit forward with some blackberries, blueberries, and woody peat moss in the background. Enough acidity to complement tomato sauce well. Without food the tannins are overwhelming.

2007 vintage

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Robert Biale, Royal Punishers Petite Sirah, Napa Valley

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