Buccella is one of the wines I look forward to tasting every year since I wrote the first review on their debut vintage 2002, naming it my Wine of the Year in 2004 scoring a perfect 100 points. For some perspective here is the review published in December 2004.

2002 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; DW 100

A nose of crushed currants, cigar box, dark, macerated cherry and vanilla pod. The mouth entry, showing flavors of tobacco, rich, spicy flower blossom and chocolate dust is exquisite. The lush tannins make me wish I had a magnum. The finish is liquid blackberry jam, and blueberries. 

The debut vintage went on to receive a 92 rating from Robert Parker in February 2005, and a 93 from Wine Spectator in June 2005. 

This first vintage, made by the well regarded Mark Herold, caused collectors to wake up and get on the list. More highly rated vintages followed suit in the miniscule 2003 and 2004.

In the 2005 vintage, owner Bill Deem introduced the first Buccella Merlot, sourced from Larry Hyde’s Carneros vineyard. How was it? All it did was make my Top 25 list of wines for 2008 as the only Merlot (DW 96) represented. It was joined by the 2005 Cabernet (DW 94). The wines were very popular with clients.

I got an email from Bill Deem earlier this week inviting me to the winery to taste with he and winemaker, Chris Justin. Mark Herold departed, and Celia Welch was appointed consulting winemaker in 2008 finishing the just released 2006 vintage. As I had tasted these over the last couple weeks, I held off publishing notes until I could include my impressions of the barrels as well.

According to the winery, these are the first comprehensive reviews published for the 2006 and 2007 vintages of Buccella.

2006 Buccella Merlot Hyde Vineyard; DW 95+

14.8% alcohol, 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 343 cases produced

Aroma: black fig, boysenberry and some hints of smoked meats

Palate: great texture - supple entry of plum, blackberry conserve with some racy raspberry adding a bit of grip at the end

Impression: A beautiful followup to the stunning debut from this producer, excellent structure with smooth prune, dates and blackberry. Easily the new benchmark for California Merlot!

2006 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley; DW 95

15.2% alcohol, 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 1% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec, 792 cases produced

Aroma: Salt, some dry mineral hints, black currants with very concentrated core showing hints of cedar and cocoa

Palate: lush and expansive with deep rich black cherry and hints of freshly ground garden herbs, blackberries, espresso and chocolate

Impression: a bold wine from the very beginning with impressive structure

The 2007 vintage will be released in Spring 2010. The wines are still in barrel and will be bottled in the summer. I tasted all three releases with Chris Justin and Bill Deem and came away solidly impressed. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley; DW 91-93 was initially somewhat reticent and tightly wound for all three of us. The remaining wines; 2007 Buccella Merlot Hyde Vineyard DW 96-98, and the second release of the 2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Katrina Eileen, DW 95-97, were stunning…

First of all, I would not recommend sitting around waiting for other reviews to come out on these wines, Robert Parker already has published a review on the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, rating it 95-97. Beyond that, these are the first published reviews on either of the 2006 vintage wines, as well as the 2007 Merlot and Cuvee.

2007 Buccella Merlot; DW 96-98

visually, the wine coats the glass with a viscous magenta glycerin, slowly morphing into sheets of tears. 

Aroma: licorice, coffee and a fast moving core of pure blackberry, currant and cherry

Palate: extremely concentrated and profoundly dense coffee, blackberry, sandalwood and prune

Impression: extraordinary in purity, the oak integrates nicely with several hours of air at this stage

2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon; DW 91-93

of the three wines, the Cabernet was nearly impenetrable when poured at the winery. With hours of air, it is beginning to flesh out. I will be very interested how it progresses in the next 11 months

Aroma:blackberry and polished spice notes, vanilla and hints of black plum and blossoms (geranium?)

Palate: firm and focused, beginning to show length after 10+ hours 

Impression: Not too worried about the direction it is going - this wine has been a consensus mid 90 point wine since inception.

2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Katrina Eileen; DW 95-97

Named for Bill and Alicia’s daughter, aged in 100% Darnajou barrels, the wine is in its second vintage. Shows an ultra-intense Syrah-like color…

Aroma: deep and intense with gooey blue and black fruits and an an underlying sense of tobacco, cocoa and nutmeg

Palate: focused and centered, the palate is refreshingly structured showing classic mid-valley benchland character, elements of cranberry and gobs of sculpted black fruits

Impression: a little coffee and spice along with well defined black and deep red fruits - excellent texture

For ordering these wines go directly to Buccella