Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Vineyards

Will is a wonderful and informative host and winemaker. Wines are excellent. I recommend his wines highly.

WE LOVE OLD HILL. COOLEST VINEYARD IN THE VALLEY.

Great experience visiting and tasting with Will Bucklin

My wife, Loretta, and I just opened a bottle of the 2017 Rose of Old Hill Ranch. We are confessed Rose snobs of numerous countries. We were amazed how anybody could combine 5 different grapes like some mad scientist in their lab and create such a delight. The flavors burst on the tongue multi dimension-ally with diverse palate pleasures. From citrus to sweet, thin to thick, and optimal delights. Our favorite Rose on the planet. Great job on expanding into the Rose realm. Outstanding price too! Eddy+Loretta

The most unique vineyard in the valley and perhaps the whole of Sonoma County. Will Bucklin is the steward of this 130+ year old vineyard. A true field blend with over 25 varieties including some unknown vines. The Bambino and the Ancient Vines wines are his mainstays but the smaller production blends like the Mixed Blacks, Grenache, and Petite Sirah are my favorites. Will has wonderful wine knowledge as well as knowing every inch of the vineyard. He also knows wonderful history of the valley and the key players here. I highly recommend a visit here. No fancy winery but a rustic adventure and outstanding, reasonably priced wines.

Visited with Will on Monday October 20. Tasted 2 zins and had no fee. Had a wonderful experience here. Went out the old vineyard and looked out over the vineyard with fog and mountain in the distance. Learned a lot about dry farming and how Will uses nature to the fullest extent. Learned about his "insectry" and how that works to sustain his farm. Went into the barn and tasted 2012 Bambino and Ancient field blends. Both were wonderfully balanced and very tasty. I am sure that this is not for everyone but having the experience of talking to the winemaker/owner/farmer and learning something while doing it is why we come to California every year. This was a memorable experience , and the wine was outstanding as well.

The wine is delicious and priced right. The winery is hard to find. No signage. Will Bucklin doesn't like marketing but he is unpretentious and to the point. Was one of our best experiences because of the direct contact and feedback with the grower. Certainly not there to impress you with anything fancy. Worth the visit if you want the real farm experience with a barn tasting. Otherwise order online. You won't be disappointed.

I made an appointment ahead of time so I was able to visit with the wine maker. Mr. Bucklin is very passionate about his vineyard, his wine, his techniques and his philosophy of wine making. He was kind enough to show me around his vineyard. His wines might be hard to find outside Sonoma but I would highly recommend getting some wines from this very boutique winery.