2019 Bucklin, Anne’s Field Blend, Upper 5th Vineyard, Old Hill Ranch, Sonoma Valley.
The deeply hued 2019 Anne’s Upper 5th Vineyard Zinfandel based red field blend from Will Bucklin’s historic Old Hill Ranch, originally planted with Zinfandel in the 1880s, is a unique 3 barrel bottling of 67% Zinfandel, 19% Peloursin, 8% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignane and 3% Colombard (white) that is all skin macerated, co-fermented together and then raised in used French oak. As with the 2018, there’s tons of personality on display and this is distinctive stuff with lush ripe Zinfandel led black raspberry, wild plum, Italian cherry and tangy currant fruits, but with some savory and earthy elements, taut tannin, a nice cut of acidity, mineral tones, beautiful floral aromas, snappy/resiny sage (sweet and sour herbs), along with a hint of coco, anise, cedar and loam. This dark purple/garnet Zin blend is an expressively pure California wine coming from vines firmly root in Sonoma Valley history with old vine concentration, fruit density, unfussy pragmatic winemaking to allow raw and rustic transparent flavors to shine through. This 2019 is full bodied, coming in at 14.8% natural alcohol, but doesn’t feel heavy or hot at all with an inner brightness, clarity of detail and firmly structured, making for a wine that is best enjoyed with a hearty and meaty meal. This Upper 5th Vineyard, named after winegrower Will Bucklin’s mom, Anne Teller, who’s been farming grapes here in the Sonoma Valley for many decades, starting in the late 1970s and early 1980s when she and her husband Otto purchased the Old Hill Ranch property, that is one of California’s most historic vineyards. With its century old vines, Upper 5th plot is its own micro-terroir and produces this tasty rare wine, with only 75 cases made, that is almost exclusively sold through Bucklin’s mailing list and website, which I highly recommend, along with Bucklin’s classic Ancient Zinfandel and the old vine Grenache.
Bucklin Anne’s Upper 5th red is an unique co-ferment field blend of five grapes, mainly old vine Zinfandel, Pelousin, a French variety, thought to be from the Rhône-Alpes region, best known its crossing with Syrah resulting in Durif (aka Petite Sirah), Petite Sirah, Carignane and French Colombard, a white grape used in Cognac, that come from a 100 year old plot. This separate parcel at Old Hill Ranch is all inter-planted with a collection of fruit and nut trees and is farmed with great care, naturally and with only sustainable and holistic methods. Named after Will Bucklin’s mom, Anne Teller, who’s been farming grapes here in the Sonoma Valley for many decades, starting in the late 1970s and early 1980s when she and her husband Otto purchased the Old Hill Ranch property, one of California’s most historic vineyards that was the first site to be planted to Zinfandel in the 1880s. As mentioned before here, known mostly for the Ancient Zin blend and the Bambino young vine Zinfandel from the original Old Hill Vineyard, Bucklin does a small lot collection of bottlings that wine enthusiasts should really take note of, like this Anne’s Field Blend as well as the Rosé, the Mixed Whites, the Ancient Grenache, the Otto’s Grenache and Bucklin’s delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. All of these wines are available on their website and remain some of the best under the radar Sonoma Valley wines out there and I highly recommend checking them out. Will Bucklin’s Zin based wines are right up there with some of the greats of Zinfandel, so lovers of Turley, Biale, Ridge, Sandlands, Brown Estate and Bedrock, to name a few, will want to get these incredibly well made and outstanding value wines all from one of the state’s great heritage vineyards. The Bucklin wines, which are fairly priced, are hand crafted using traditional methods with exceptional care and treatment of the grapes from the vines to the bottle with the wines seeing about a year in mostly used French oak barrels to allow the vineyard to show through in the wine.
($32 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive