Tom Simoneau & Diane Bucher.

Diane Bucher of Bucher Wines joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Tom Simoneau and Barry Herbst, wine buyer for Bottle Barn, are also in the studio. Diane and John Bucher were also on California Wine Country on this show back on June 13, 2018.

Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Bottle Barn one of the three best places to buy wine in California and one of the best in the country. Harvest Fair is on display in the store and there will be a public tasting on October 15 in the store for the first time after two years. Sunday the awards were announced and Bottle Barn is stocking up with the winning wines. Tom Simoneau, as a small wine producer, appreciates how Bottle Barn supports the small growers and producers. Every year there is a handful of new wineries that Barry has never heard of before.

Dan Berger has brought another cellar wine into the studio today. A 2020 MacRostie Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap. It has great structure and great fruit. There is another MacRostie 2016 Pinot Noir, to taste later.

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Diane Bucher and her husband John planeted the first blocks of their vineyard in 1997. In 1999 Williams Selyem bought the first fruit. Tom Simoneau just had a 2012 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir from the Bucher vineyard. They grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and sell all the Chardonnay. Ram’s Gate is going to bottle a Bucher vineyard designate Chardonnay of 2021. They have 36 acres of Pinot and 2 of Chardonnay. On some nearby property they also grow Sauvignon Blanc and others. Their vineyards are all in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA.

They make their wine at Grand Cru Custom Crush in Windsor and that is where they hold their tastings too. There are about 20 wineries making wine there, at 1200 American Way in Windsor, one block south of the Russian River Brewing Company. They are in the warmer part of the Russian River Valley. Their Rosé, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir are on sale at the shop there too.

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They open the Bucher 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir. It is a saignée Rosé, with bright acidity, watermelon and granny smith apple. Dan calls it delicate and fragrant. At 13.8% alcohol it is “astounding.” It sells for $35 retail.

As they open the next Pinot, the 2019 Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir, a recent double gold winner from the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, which was announced just last Sunday. Bottle Barn has ‘em. It won double gold in a very competitive category, says Barry Herbst. Dan “Lay It Down” Berger says the flavors are incredible but it portends so much more.

The next wine is the 2020 Bucher, focussed on the Pommard clone. This one reminds Dan of Burgundy. Their winemaker is Adam Lee.