Bucklin Fall Release

WINE TALK
21

It is applied automatically at checkout if you click through the offer email.

22

So not applicable if you just went to the store and ordered. Not that I care, as I am sure they can use every penny right now.

23

I’d email Will Bucklin and ask. He’s extraordinarily responsive in my experience.

24

Nope. He’s welcome to the money. His situation is far more dire than mine.

Thanks for explaining it though.

25

Happy to buy these direct this time, and from now own. Really love Bucklin zin, what’s now the ancient field blend. Looking forward to trying the Grenache as well. Thanks to the OP for posting on this!!

26

Bucklin wines are amazing across the board and will is a great dude. Had the chance to taste with him there a couple years ago and we had a blast. Such a special vineyard.

And I agree with Morgan on the grenache. Crazy good and those old vines are gnarly looking.

Last, don’t sleep on the Petite Sirah either! Really good stuff!

27

Looking forward to getting these and lining up an ancient vines red with Bedrock and O&F Old Hill.

28

A fascinating horizontal. And soon, Carlisle joining the Old Hill crowd.

29

Petite Sirah? Where did you see petite sirah?

30

Ahhh, sorry - doesn’t look like its included in the release. Not sure if its only offered at the winery or something, but definitley worth trying if you see it [cheers.gif]

31

I’ve been lurking here for awhile, but finally signed up today specifically to say thanks to all of you for introducing me to a new winery! We love the smaller, more esoteric producers and enjoy seeking them out; in person is best of course but virtual works too. This morning I ordered a case from Bucklin, 3 each of Mixed Whites, Ancient Grenache, Ancient Field Blend and Bambino. Really looking forward to getting to know them.

32

Welcome Donna! Fairly certain you won’t be disappointed.

33

Agreed! Welcome to the board and hope you enjoy the wines (which I’m also pretty sure you will). Would love to hear your thoughts after you try them and hope you continue to post more often [cheers.gif]

34

Got my mixed case yesterday. I got a smattering of everything and went a bit heavier on the 2018 Ancient Field Blend - the 2016 was smoking a few months back. I guess the Mixed Whites and Bambino are the obvious bottles to start with, but the deliciousness of that 2016 haunts me…kinda wanna try some of the heavier hitters.

35

Haven’t gotten mine yet but the 2017 Bambino was spectacular, imo. The Ancients do reward a little sideways time.

36

Enablers! In for 6 Grenache.

37

Mine arrived earlier this week. I had a straw and a paper bag ready to receive them.

38

I got a mix in the first case I ordered. Had come across a 2016 ancient field blend locally and it blew my mind. Opened the Mixed Whites and went right back to order a mix of that and bambino. The QPR Is super high. I’m becoming a huge fan. They are very understated.

39

Just popped a 2017 Mixed Blacks. Hugely
aromatic, packed with strawberry and raspberry fruit. Reminds me of how the 2005 Pierre Usseglio CdP was drinking on release.

40

Spring release out today. Need to restock Bambino and Mixed Whites:

Besides the gnarled ancient vines, there aren’t many other visible reminders of Old Hill’s storied past. The gingerbread homestead burned in the 1970’s, the last of the Eucalyptus windrows burned in 2017 and the railroad has long since been paved over. What remains are some unearthed horseshoes, a pestle and mortar, five abandoned wells and a long-defunct water-tower.
Water towers are an important part of California’s historical heritage and thousands were built in the late 19th century but then quickly became obsolete with the invention of electric pumps. Dozens still exist in Sonoma, made obvious by their two-story trapezoidal shape and flat platform roof.
The water tower on Old Hill has always intrigued me. It had obviously and carelessly been repurposed several times, with windows and doors added seemingly on every side and level. The water tank on top must have leaked profusely over decades given all the rot to the beams and siding. But upon peeling away the layers of drywall and shag carpet, the original craftsmanship became evident, revealing mortise and tenon joinery, hand-hewn beams, and ancient crimson redwood.
The fires of 2017 provided a Tabula Rasa and a purse of insurance revenue; the pandemic provided time, and my amazing cousins provided architectural expertise. The goal was to move the structure into the vineyard to perch among the vines and to restore it to its original glory, save we are not putting a tank upon it. The upstairs – with its spectacular view of the vineyard and Mayacamas Mountains – will be my office, and the downstairs will be a space for tasting wine and high jinks.
After all, every winery needs a tower, and I am very much looking forward, as is Lizanne, to moving Bucklin headquarters out of the kitchen. I think we are just a few weeks from completion!

Bucklin Old Hill Ranch
In the meantime, I am increasingly optimistic about the 2020 vintage. And while I remain concerned about the impact of smoke on the wines, our extensive chemical analysis has proven nothing, and the wines taste fabulous. There will be a sweet irony if the 2020 vintage is, as I am beginning to suspect, an outstanding vintage.
The Release:
This newsletter marks the release of our 2019 reds that were bottled last June along with our 2020 Rosé. The 2019 vintage seems like it was eons ago, but it is surely worth remembering because it was a dry-farmer’s dream, with plentiful and late rains, a warm and not too hot summer, followed by a mild and dry fall. Given all that has transpired over the last year, it feels good to remember such a generous vintage.

A Tale of Two Grenache:

  1. Otto’s Grenache; vines established 2010 ($40)
  2. Ancient Grenache; vines established 1885 ($40)
    The two Grenache we produce from Old Hill vineyard are made from similar varietal blends that are grown from the same clones and root stock. The blocks are located only a stone’s throw apart, and the wines are made using similar techniques. It would seem that the major distinction between these wines would be from the 124-year difference in vine age, and yet there is another factor that plays an even larger role.
    The Ancient-vine Grenache grows on the valley floor on the fertile, deep, clay-loam soils. The vines are among the oldest, biggest and most beautiful on the vineyard. They are incredibly productive, especially given their age. By comparison, Otto’s block grows across the creek on a warm hillside sloped towards the setting sun. The soils are hard and rocky with a shallow and almost impermeable volcanic tuff (ash conglomerate) that limits root depth. These vines are the lowest yielding and least vigorous on the ranch.
    The Ancient Grenache is a select harvest from the Ancient Field Blend. We walk the vine rows, picking only Grenache and then after we fill up a half ton bin, we add a few buckets of Syrah, Carignan, and Alicante Bouschet. The final blend is about 80% Grenache. Otto’s, a true field blend, is similar in varietal make up to the Ancient Grenache blend as described above, but with a few more varieties in the mix, including Mourvèdre, Counoise and Clairette Blanche.
    In 2019 I was a little more obsessive with the Ancient Grenache harvest, and I flagged the vines I wanted to pick by marking the different varieties with different colors. This allowed me to keep track of yields and proportions. In doing so I was able to calculate the theoretical yield of the vines at 6.6 tons to the acre. That is a lot of grapes for 134-year-old dry-farmed vines!
    2019 was the biggest vintage in my 21 years here, and yet the 10-year-old Otto’s vines produced only 1.7 tons per acre. That is about half what a more conventional vineyard might produce, but I was pleased given it had been averaging closer to one ton per acre in years past.

Bucklin Old Hill Ranch
The yield story, as it pertains to these two blocks, seems counterintuitive. The young hillside vines on shallow soils produce loose clusters with teeny tiny grapes that have more skin than juice. The old vines produce larger clusters with larger and juicier berries. Location, more than vine age, limits yield.
Otto’s -the wine- is denser and more compact; the tannins are pronounced and the wine feels rich on the palate. It is perfumed with cherry and plum fruit along with hints of typical Old Hill spice. The Ancient, on the other hand, is still dark, but less so. The palate is bright and cheery, and yet the aromas are more complex with cherry and earthy tones. The tannins are certainly apparent but less obvious on the finish. Both wines will benefit from age.

Anne’s Upper 5th Vineyard Field Blend ($34)
Anne’s Field Blend comes from The Upper 5th vineyard that was planted in the 1940’s and is located across the highway from Old Hill Ranch on Oak Hill Farm. Our Mother, Anne, who farmed Oak Hill, purchased the vineyard in 2010. She loved the funky promiscuous nature of the vineyard, where fruit trees were interplanted throughout, shading the old head trained vines.
The field blend is 60% Zinfandel, with Petite Sirah, Peloursin (closely akin to Petite Sirah) and a few Mourvèdre and French Colombard vines. The fruit trees in the vineyard, besides making it difficult to navigate a tractor, shade and cool the vines creating a brighter and leaner profile than the Old Hill wines. The fresh aromas of raspberry and cherry dominate with some mint and eucalyptus spice. The wine is aged in once-used French barrels, preserving the aromas and moderating the tannins, which are youthful and focused.

Rosé of Old Hill Ranch ($24)
Made from 20% Grenache 71% Zinfandel 5% Mourvèdre and 4% Syrah. The grapes are harvested early, co-fermented cold and finished dry. The wine is pale in color with aromas of fresh watermelon and a crisp acidity on the finish. The Rosé of Old Hill Ranch is a fine accompaniment to the optimism of spring!