Bucklin Winery was founded in 2000 by the four Bucklin siblings: Arden, Kate, Ted and Will. Will Bucklin has been a vintner for over 25 years, working in France, Australia, Sonoma, Mendocino and Oregon. Bucklin produces several Zinfandels, a Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and a White Field Blend.
Old Hill Ranch is a historic jewel. It was founded by William McPherson Hill in 1851. The vineyard came into the Bucklin family when it was purchased in 1981. Bucklin, Once & Future and Bedrock are the sole producers of wine from the vineyard.
The Bambino field blend is from a portion of Old Hill Ranch planted in 1998. The grapes were planted in a fashion very similar to the ancient vines at Old Hill.
Purple in color. 14.2% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and pepper. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Incredibly concentrated. Black cherry compote, raspberry liqueur, earth and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Hard to believe a Zin with this structure comes from such young vines. Just a screaming deal from a tremendous vintage. Best over the next 2-3 years.
My rating: 93 points.
Bucklin gets very little press but I would highly suggest visiting their website and ordering a few bottles. At $24 this wine is a bargain and will have a place in my cellar.
I previously wrote about Old Hill Ranch in Top 10 Old Vine Zinfandel Vineyards.
I first met Will and tasted Bucklin at a late ’90s trade tasting in Chicago. I was impressed by both and have been ordering from Will ever since, It really is pretty amazing that Bucklin remains so far under the radar. I can only attribute that to the fact that there is a whole lot of great zin out there and much of it is also from historic vineyards. But don’t forget to try the whites!