History
Franz "Frank" Kraft made wine on the west side of St. Helena from around 1860; his native stone winery still stands as a cellar for Spottswoode. Most of his vineyards vanished long ago, but a patch planted in the 1890s survived north of the old winery on what is now the family estate of Bill and Margie Hart. On viticulturist Bill Pease's advice, the Harts chose restoration over removal, bringing in Bob Biale from 2002 for drainage, soil work and interplanting. Robert Biale Vineyards has bottled the sole Old Kraft designation since 2006, and the vineyard carries Historic Vineyard Society certification.
The Site
A small holding on Madrona Avenue ground at the western edge of town, the last working remnant of the Kraft era, its exact acreage unpublished.
Vines and Blocks
Old Zinfandel with rare surviving Petite Sirah of the same era, interplanted with young vines that preserve the original field's makeup.
The Wines
Biale's Old Kraft Zinfandel runs to a few hundred cases a year: concentrated, dark-spiced old-vine fruit that tastes of the town's first wine generation.