2012 Bucklin Ancient Field Blend Old Hill Ranch

Community Tasting Notes (19) Avg Score: 92.1 points

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  4/22/2024 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points

  This was in a great place and I’m glad to have picked up a bottle recently through the back vintage offer from Bucklin. Wish more producers did that.

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  2/14/2024 - EMark Likes this wine:

  Murky dark purple color with dark edges--suggests prune juice. A piquant red berry nose. On the tongue I get a lively combination of stone fruit--apricot cherry, plum. Some rear palate bitterness. A firm wine with non-interfering acid and tannin.

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  1/2/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Coravin pours of both the Ancient Field Blend (~100 year old vines) and the Bambino (young vines) from the 2012 vintage of Bucklin’s Old Hill Ranch vineyard. Both wines are delicious and young looking. The Bambino being a bit lighter garnet in color. The texture is just a bit less dense and rich in the Bambino as well. The Ancient field blend has a deeper and spicier flavor profile. Both have great red and black fruit and some bright acidity with a mineral finish. Both taste still very youthful. The Ancient Field blend has easily a half decade plus before peak, maybe significantly more. The Bambino is delicious now and probably is most enjoyable over the next several years. Interesting to compare the two.

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  11/28/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Opened a bottle each of 2012 Bucklin Old Hill and 2012 Ravenswood Old Hill, both made from field blend grapes from the same ~100 year old vineyard made up of zinfandel and at least 22 other varieties. Unsurprisingly they were very similar. The main difference appeared to be the notable amount of new oak on the Ravenswood. Both looked very youthful and lively translucent dark garnet crimson. The Bucklin seemed to gain a more floral and herbal note (lavender, roses et al) with air that was not as obvious in the Ravenswood, which had a more dominant vanilla and sweet spice profile which indicated new oak to me. The fruit was nicely balanced with the acidity with low tannin. There was a lot of red berries and plummy elements on the palate along with a wet stone finish on both wines. Interesting to taste these two side by side. The Bucklin was clearly more pure fruit and the Ravenswood was slightly more complex due to the oak, especially in the first 30 minutes or so after opening. Hard to score them much differently. Both will age well for another 5-10 years in my opinion.

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  11/18/2020 - DougSamuel Likes this wine: 93 Points

  More garnet in color with a nose of raspberry and red cherry. Amazingly approachable with a softness of tannin and mouthfeel that isn't characteristic of most zins (particularly younger ones). Yet, it has a solid structure with tannins to fill out the side and dark earth and peppery finish. Drinking extremely well and gives courage to wait on these ancient wines from Bucklin.

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