Bucher Vineyard: Twice as nice

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

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SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA

Bucher Farm and Bucher Vineyard's from left to right, Tony Klisura, 16, with Daisy, Hannah Bucher, 19, with Carl, John Bucher, Diane Bucher and Jack Bucher, 16, with Dixie at the family's Healdburg property, Thursday, June 6, 2013. (Crista Jeremiason / The Press Democrat)

Bucher Vineyard: Twice as nice

By VIRGINIE BOONE FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT he drive into the Bucher Vineyard on Westside Road says it all — on one side of the lane are wine grapes, on the other, dozens of dairy cows. There on the western side of the road near Arista winery, the land is both a source of sought-after Russian River pinot noir grapes and organically certified milk, an amalgam of modern-day Sonoma County agriculture and throwback to the region’s traditional roots. The 360-acre family farm, which dates back to 1958, when the Russian River Valley was still mostly prunes and dairy, was begun by Joe and Annemarie Bucher (pronounced Boo-ker), Swiss immigrants who started the operation with 50 milking cows.

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Joe’s eldest son John, wife Diane and their five children now run the place, looking after 600 certified organic cows on this property, some 1,200 in all spread among Healdsburg and pastures in Valley Ford and Petaluma. They’re a mix of Holstein and Brown Swiss raised on

organic feed. The Buchers’ main business remains supplying milk to Clover Stornetta Farms; they were chosen as one of only 16 farms able to produce milk to Clover’s high organic standards. John Bucher originally wanted to be a veterinarian and take care of all those cows, but wine has always surrounded him and he counts winemaker Tom Rochioli, whom he grew up with, as one of his closest friends. So there was a sense of inevitability about eventually putting in a few rows of grapes; the land was perfect for pinot noir. They started planting the first few acres of Pommard and Dijon clone pinot noir in 1997 with the help of Bob Cabral, the winemaker at Williams Selyem nearby. In addition to Williams Selyem winery, Russian River-focused Siduri, Arista,

Holdredge and Papapietro Perry wineries also buy Bucher fruit and just last year, some of it also went to C. Donatiello winery and Frank Family Vineyards from Calistoga. John Holdredge of Holdredge Wines in Healdsburg has been working with Bucher fruit since 2006, sourcing primarily from two different blocks of pinot noir. It is the first fruit he picks every year, as the site is warm enough to get the grapes ripe and ready before other areas of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. “What’s distinctive to me about that vineyard is that it conveys a real sense of serenity,” he said. “John’s (Bucher’s) farming enables that serene voice to speak.” Winemakers are also intrigued by the Buchers’ focus on heritage clones, not only Pommard, but also Swan, Mount Eden and Clone 16 (also called the Jackson clone). In all, the vineyard now comprises 15 separate blocks over 40 acres. The biggest block is a mere six acres total, and most of them are closer to an acre each. “Good

quality will always sell, was my parents’ philosophy,” Bucher said. This has been the second generation’s philosophy as well, with Bucher choosing to tend to the vineyard with an eye to quality over quantity. “The lightest footprint in the vineyard,” he said, “yields the biggest thumbprint on the bottle.” The quality of grapes from their land lured the Buchers themselves into making wine, and they teamed up with Siduri winemaker Adam Lee to start small. A 2011 vintage pinot noir and chardonnay are the Buchers’ inaugural

releases. The chardonnay grapes in 2011 were sourced from the neighboring Lazy W Ranch on Westside Road, which also sells grapes to August Briggs and Williams Selyem. But soon they’ll come from the estate vineyard, as Bucher grafted part of a pinot noir block over to chardonnay grapes. It should produce its first viable crop this year. The wines are understated, silky smooth with a conservative approach to oak. They’re earthy, with the Russian River Valley’s signature cola-spice flavor hints. Raspberry is the dominant fruit characteristic in the pinot noir, its tannins are supple and the finish teasing in acidity. The chardonnay is redolent of fresh apple and citrus fruit flavor with layers of minerality. Virginie Boone is a freelance wine writer based in Sonoma County. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @vboone. Copyright © 2013 PressDemocrat.com — All rights reserved. Restricted use only.