The 16 (yes, 16) varieties of ancient vines in the 14 core acres of the Bucklin Old
Hill vineyard causes
different maturing dates in the same field. This means that winemaker Will Bucklin may have
to have three
different harvests, at different times, to gather the grapes for the wine production. (This
is just one of the items that
makes a field like this economically unprofitable for large corporations to
harvest!) The resulting "field blend" Zinfandel is a wine of deep color
and taste, with layers of flavor that will delight you, and inspire wine
connoisseurs to shout congratulations to winemaker Will Bucklin. If you thought Zinfandel could
never surpass Cabernet Sauvignon in taste and complexity, find out you are wrong
by drinking Bucklin "Old Hill Zinfandel".
We don't have any financial interest in the winery, so we are entitled
to express our opinions in unqualified terms. We are in good company.
Prominent experts are also enthusiastic about this wine. But you will
never find it in your local wine store. Will Bucklin just doesn't produce
much from the 14 acres of these150 year old vines.
 |
Will
Bucklin studied wine making at the renowned wine making
course at Davis. Upon his graduation he was interviewed by the Rothschilds
and awarded an internship at Chateau Lafitte Rothschild in France. (If you are at
the Bucklin winery, ask Will what the employees drank at Chateau Lafitte
Rothschild, and what was the inspiration for Bucklin's Mixed Black - a
unique taste in American wines.) From the Château and his education there,
Will worked for several years in the wine business in France, then Australia. In 1992 he
went to Eugene, Oregon, as winemaker for the King Estate Winery. In 2000 he
moved back to California to manage the ancient vineyard and start the
Bucklin family winery. |
Bucklin Old Hill Ranch is a certified organic 24-acre
dry-farmed Zinfandel field blend vineyard. The great age of the vines
causes a low production. Average yields of Old Hill rarely exceed
one and a quarter tons per acre. There is great concentration of
flavor in the few grapes per vine. The 16 varieties of vines causes wines of immense complexity,
smooth and approachable on
the palate, with long tastes of fruit and spices.
Bucklin and Ravenswood are the sole producers of wine off the vineyard. Ravenswood, the wine producers known inside California for
their handling of Zinfandel grapes and the many Zinfandel
field designates they sell (and known outside California for their 400,000 case production size
of Zinfandel wines) in past years have been able to buy a
rationed amount of grapes from the Bucklins, which Ravenswood sells for their
top tier vineyard designate Old Hill Ranch Zinfandel. Because Ravenswood
has great size, it is there you will read wine reviews of what the Bucklin Old
Hill Ranch vineyard grows.
“Of all
[Ravenswood's ]... Zinfandels, the wine that gets the highest praise is Old Hill
Ranch ... a monster in aroma - blackberry and black pepper scents... A
fascinating wine.” Los Angeles Times, September 19, 1991.
When I was at Ravenswood, they told me they charged $60 a bottle for
Ravenswood Old Hill Zinfandel (same grapes as Bucklin Old Hill Zinfandel)
and sell out their 600 cases to their wine club before the wine is ever released
to the public. So buy some of Will Bucklin's wine production of 600 cases
at about $30 a bottle when you have the chance.
Will Bucklin's training at Chateau Lafitte Rothschild has shown up in
his Bucklin Old Hill Gewürztraminer. Will uses a field blend from the Compagni Portis
Vineyard's ancient, organic, dry-farmed, vineyard; then applies Alsatian winemaking techniques, fermenting with native
yeast and aging in neutral barrels sur lees for eight months. A great wine
for summertime in the shade drinking while reading a good book. Each
year's production of 300 cases sells out before the end of the year.
Because of the small size of the Bucklin winery, and because
they sell their total production by virtue of
reputation alone, they have no tasting room. Bucklin Old Hill Ranch
winery is not open to give you a
tour or sell you wine (unless you phone them and arrange for an appointment).
Contact them through their website
www.buckzin.com about Sonoma Valley
Wine • Old Hill Ranch ~ Sonoma's Oldest Vineyard
, located at 8 Old Hill Ranch Road, Gen Ellen, CA 95442.
Phone 707/933-1726 (You have to get off the beaten path to find
them, so do not expect to reach the vineyard unless you call for directions.)
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