Adding the Red Blend to the Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel line up was a no brainer. The bourbon characters soaked out of the barrels meld with the wine and creates a mullet of wine. Business red blend in the front and party bourbon in the back.
We created this Red Blend starting with varieties that grow best in Lake County. We racked it in freshly emptied bourbon barrels for three months and the result, pretty amazeballs.
Nested deep in our vineyards stood a dilapidated 100-year-old skinning shed called the āYe Old Buck Shackā. We loved the beauty and history of this old building. We restored it and converted it into a whiskey bar on our property called āSheep Campā. The shack looks and feels like an old Western movie and it serves as a special place for us to gather and use bad judgment.
Vintage
2018 was the longest vintage ever! Our first grapes came in on August 21st and our last grapes came in November 16th, slow and steady wins the race. A long, mild temperature vintage always makes for the most complex wine becasue the grapes can ripen slowly. We call it hang time. We havenāt see wines this dense and concentrated in a few vintages.
Winery: Shannon Ridge
Owners: Clay and Angie Shannon
Founded: 1995
Location: Lake County
āSustainability wasnāt some philosophical concept; it is the way we live our lives.ā
At Shannon Ridge, we live in harmony with Mother Nature. We are passionate about preserving our land, not only for great vineyard sites, but for the wild creatures which share our property. Our sustainability practices integrate a flock of sheep that clean the vineyards, remove the excess canopy, and reduce the need for chemicals, while providing natural fertilizer.
Clay grew up on a farm in Healdsburg in Sonoma County. He began his career as a vineyard manager in St. Helena, traveling the wine regions of California managing the companyās vineyards. A short time later he started his own vineyard management company, growing grapes for some of the top wineries and fruit companies in Northern California.
In 1995, Clay discovered a magnificent piece of property in the hills overlooking Clear Lake in Lake County, thirty-five miles north of Napaās famed vineyards. He quickly set out to develop vineyards, Clayās vision was simple: āWe wanted to grow the best fruit in the world,ā says Clay, ābut we wanted to do it in a way that made us happy living there.ā
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend - $50 = 22.72%
Have tried the Buck Shack bourbon barrel Cab Sauv and even though I generally do not like bourbon barrel aged wines, it was surprisingly good. However, this is not that. Looks like a kitchen sink style blend. Will be interested to see what the rats have to say.
An eight varietal mash up individually aged then blended and racked into a bourbon barrel for its final three months aging prior to bottling in March.
Definitely not in my wheelhouse, but here goes with a stream of observations/notes.
This arrived yesterday mid afternoon and I had left a note for the UPS driver to ring the bell; there is life within.
He did, good thing too, as it would have sat on a bench in the afternoon sun otherwise, as is it was a bit above room temp at 26.8Ā°C when opened immediately upon delivery.
Closure is a Vincā¢ 40mm technical cork, recommended for still wines with a shelf-life of up to 3 years, according to the Vinc site.
Color (Pantone) for the core was close to a 242 with the rim lighter and near 227. Ā I donāt have names, but suffice it to say dark purple-maroonish, but not as dark as I would have thought given the high PS percentage. Ā Clearly young colors, and darker than those below.
PnP was hot with ethanol and some chemical taint that blew off after an hour or so, to be replaced with a bit of spice and nondescript berry fruits, and a whiff of chocolate (!?).
Palate was hot as well, duh, @~80Ā°F what would you expect? Ā Couldnāt pull out any specific fruit, finish was dry and tannic, but not overwhelmingly so, it added a bit of interest.
Recorked and left on the counter for day two, today, Thursday evening.
Decant 250 into a twisty with the balance remaining in the corked 750, both into the fridge to chill it down a bit to a more respectable ~17Ā°C.
The chill killed the nose and the alcohol; now a fruity, slightly sweetish, red wine.
On the counter with both of them, uncorked the 750, poured a glass, and let the rest slo-ox for about 8 hours.
Tasting followed with a generic āgourmetā saltine cracker, only very mildly salted.
Now they were too hot, so put a quick chill on them, down to 17.6Ā°C
ā¢The glass that had been out went totally flat, dtd.
ā¢The slo-ox picked up a bit of interest, but still remained nondescript, finish now in check if a bit short.
ā¢The capped 750 remained closed, with a bit of a bitter short finish I hadnāt noticed earlier.
At this point swmbo tasted both, liked the capped and was surprised they were the same wine.
On to the food, well, not really food, with those crackers just cheese, Beehive Promontory (only slightly out of date, it was hidden), some Point Reyes Bay Blue, and chocolate, Pedroncelli āGourmet Dark Chocolate Dropsā that many are likely familiar with.
ā¢The creamy Beehive went well with both, but no significant change or improvement in either.
ā¢That Blue on a cracker is just sublime on itās own, went well with the slo-ox and seemed to overpower the capped.
ā¢The chocolate worked equally well with both.
Not sure what meal Iād pair this with, you could likely get away with many dishes that would typically go with a red wine, which, this isā¦
The slo-ox, capped and back on the counter; the capped, re-capped and back to the fridge.
Will revisit tomorrow.
The tl:dr?
Itās a red blend.
Seems like the finish is most likely from the PS, fruit may be the Zin, but no pepper Iām used to finding in some, the syrah, body perhaps and the rest are, to me, just lost.
Nothing objectionable here, but nothing either that says āI want moreā, but a bottle many looking for an easy quaffer will likely be quite satisfied with.
Not a lot to add, but again, a few observations.
The 250 that was capped and kept in the fridge changed very little, still primary and closed.
That that was left in the 750, corked on the counter, improved, and actually did well with the supper menu I mention down thread.
Repeated here:
Tonight itās getting paired with some Flannery Kali burgers, frites, grilled mangos and grilled corn with Cotija and Quicos [attached with a tangy lime mayonnaise].
@wccwinegirl 's comment seems appropriate; take these to a cookout, where youāre not focusing on the wine.
The burger was charcoal grilled with Scottās Balls and finished with the Point Reys Blue, kaiware, garden tomato, grilled onion and stone mustard. Not a bashful burger.
I was surprised The Buck Shack wasnāt overwhelmed, but it held itās own.
The '13 WS CS is still trying to find itās legs.
Should have pulled that cork this morningā¦
If youāre not expecting special, and agree with the profile from the two Rats, you shouldnāt be disappointed.
Too bad the winery was a no-show, Iād liked to have asked some questions.
@rjquillin Thanks. I ended up skipping it. Iām sure there will be something better between now and the time I really need some. And right on cue, todayās offeringā¦derp.
OK, just grabbed this from UPS last night, so my initial review is hurried. It was late, I was tired, but I had a job to do. I informed the husband I HAD to drink, people were depending on me, and my novice honest opinion. I made a chicken stir fry with quinoa. I opened the box in excitement, hoping for a red. It is! Itās every red. This mishmash of reds includes Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I can not taste any one over another, each non-distinguishable from the rest. It just tastes āredā, with a hint of interest from the bourbon barrel.
It is dark red/purple in color, and you canāt see through it. It has legs. It has a āheavyā mouthfeel. This is one of those bottles you bring with you as a neat gift or as a grab when arriving at a summer bbq at a friends house. This is not for the discerning taster or to impress the sommelier in your circle. Itās a blend with an interesting kick. Iāve seen these and the like in stores, and most seem to be about the same in price and taste, so grab some if it interests you, but this ādealā has not triggered a purchase for me, personally. Its good at being what it is. The price point may be a deal compared to the regular price from their site, but the case price is not much better than how much it can be found for elsewhere, without committing to 12. Donāt get me wrong, it tastes good for what it is, itās just not for me.
Iāll update tonight if day two is markedly different from day one last night. If not, have a great weekend!
@kasandrae This is the kind of stuff I like, and Iām considering getting a case. Could you answer a question? Does this have an acidic, ātartā feel to it that I find is common in many cheap red blends (if you tried last yearās QPR from here, you should know what Iām referencing), or is it better-rounded and savory?
@ShotgunX Iām leaning toward acidic and tartā¦Iām literally sipping it right now, day two. My husband was a second opinion and he didnāt even think about it. He said acidic and tart.
First, it is nothing like the QPR, that I didnāt care for, other than itās red. That one is lighter and has a vegetative nose, at least at PnP. I was sorting yesterday and came across some of them so I just twisted a cap.
This one isnāt, imo, acidic or tart. Tannins, yes, but not overwhelming. They keep it from being flabby and contribute to itās dryness. Donāt know the RS but it seems low, with any sweetness provided by the ample fruit with a bit of help from the 15.5% AbV.
This is easy to drink, the QPR, eh, not so much.
@kasandrae@rjquillin Interesting. Your review was quite a bit more technical, but I didnāt want to paste the same question to two people to seem needy, so thanks for checking in.
I do like tannins, and I do like pepper (which you mentioned this lacks) - big, juicy, fruity reds with both. Does this one deliver at least somewhat in that regard? What about the barrel-aging? Did you find it present enough to be noticed?
If the needle swings away from what the QPR was (almost like diluted lemon juice), then this might still warrant a purchase.
@kasandrae@ShotgunX
It is not like the QPR, period.
Perhaps to cook with, but I want to be able to drink what I cook with, so, perhaps not.
Difficult to know where the tannins in this came from. Could have been from the original aging after fermentation, chips/staves or the BB casks, which I am totally unfamiliar with. I think were it not for whatever barrel treatments this received, it may have ended up too fruit forward and soft to hold up to much of a meal.
Tonight itās getting paired with some Flannery Kali burgers, frites, grilled mangos and grilled corn with Cotija and Quicos.
Iāve also pulled a cork on some '13 WineSmith Lake County Cab, there is some leftover '16 InZin and a couple of partial bottle PNās on standby as well; be prepared!
I had the Buck Shack Cab when it was offered here back in March. I was really curious about the bourbon barrel aging. It was very meh and the wife absolutely hated it. Imo itās a gimmick and didnāt enhance the flavor at all to me. I canāt imagine the blend being much different. So keep it for the cool bottle, but donāt expect anything ground breaking if its anything like their cab.
Iāve had the cabernet before and it has a few interesting qualities. I think the cab holds its own well over the course of a few days. I didnāt care for it on its pnp, but if you pour a glass and then put the cork back in and let the bottle overnight, itās much better the second day. After it had opened up, it was quite smooth, probably from the bourbon barrel. Overall, the cab wasnāt terribly special. I made a note that I wouldnāt buy it again for more than $10-12/bottle.
Bottles are unique, and if someone wanted all buy one, I would have gotten a single for the look of it. Doubt I would drink it because well - its very red - and itās bourbon. (not my cuppa)
2018 Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend
Tasting Notes
Vintage
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$454.65 at Shannon Ridge for 12x 2018 Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend
About The Winery
Winery: Shannon Ridge
Owners: Clay and Angie Shannon
Founded: 1995
Location: Lake County
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Monday, August 17th - Tuesday, August 18th
Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Buck Shack Bourbon Barrel Red Blend - $50 = 22.72%
Canāt ship to NH? Boo!
@IcedCorn Where in NH? Iām in Southern VT.
Have tried the Buck Shack bourbon barrel Cab Sauv and even though I generally do not like bourbon barrel aged wines, it was surprisingly good. However, this is not that. Looks like a kitchen sink style blend. Will be interested to see what the rats have to say.
@chipgreen Agree, will wait on input before deciding.
Since itās available at around $20 at most retailers, doesnāt look like a great deal to commit to a bulk order
@grohotanie $15 if you look, and may even include FS
An eight varietal mash up individually aged then blended and racked into a bourbon barrel for its final three months aging prior to bottling in March.
Definitely not in my wheelhouse, but here goes with a stream of observations/notes.
This arrived yesterday mid afternoon and I had left a note for the UPS driver to ring the bell; there is life within.
He did, good thing too, as it would have sat on a bench in the afternoon sun otherwise, as is it was a bit above room temp at 26.8Ā°C when opened immediately upon delivery.
Closure is a Vincā¢ 40mm technical cork, recommended for still wines with a shelf-life of up to 3 years, according to the Vinc site.
Color (Pantone) for the core was close to a 242 with the rim lighter and near 227. Ā I donāt have names, but suffice it to say dark purple-maroonish, but not as dark as I would have thought given the high PS percentage. Ā Clearly young colors, and darker than those below.
PnP was hot with ethanol and some chemical taint that blew off after an hour or so, to be replaced with a bit of spice and nondescript berry fruits, and a whiff of chocolate (!?).
Palate was hot as well, duh, @~80Ā°F what would you expect? Ā Couldnāt pull out any specific fruit, finish was dry and tannic, but not overwhelmingly so, it added a bit of interest.
Recorked and left on the counter for day two, today, Thursday evening.
Decant 250 into a twisty with the balance remaining in the corked 750, both into the fridge to chill it down a bit to a more respectable ~17Ā°C.
The chill killed the nose and the alcohol; now a fruity, slightly sweetish, red wine.
On the counter with both of them, uncorked the 750, poured a glass, and let the rest slo-ox for about 8 hours.
Tasting followed with a generic āgourmetā saltine cracker, only very mildly salted.
Now they were too hot, so put a quick chill on them, down to 17.6Ā°C
ā¢The glass that had been out went totally flat, dtd.
ā¢The slo-ox picked up a bit of interest, but still remained nondescript, finish now in check if a bit short.
ā¢The capped 750 remained closed, with a bit of a bitter short finish I hadnāt noticed earlier.
At this point swmbo tasted both, liked the capped and was surprised they were the same wine.
On to the food, well, not really food, with those crackers just cheese, Beehive Promontory (only slightly out of date, it was hidden), some Point Reyes Bay Blue, and chocolate, Pedroncelli āGourmet Dark Chocolate Dropsā that many are likely familiar with.
ā¢The creamy Beehive went well with both, but no significant change or improvement in either.
ā¢That Blue on a cracker is just sublime on itās own, went well with the slo-ox and seemed to overpower the capped.
ā¢The chocolate worked equally well with both.
Not sure what meal Iād pair this with, you could likely get away with many dishes that would typically go with a red wine, which, this isā¦
The slo-ox, capped and back on the counter; the capped, re-capped and back to the fridge.
Will revisit tomorrow.
The tl:dr?
Itās a red blend.
Seems like the finish is most likely from the PS, fruit may be the Zin, but no pepper Iām used to finding in some, the syrah, body perhaps and the rest are, to me, just lost.
Nothing objectionable here, but nothing either that says āI want moreā, but a bottle many looking for an easy quaffer will likely be quite satisfied with.
@rjquillin Thank you for the detailed report. I love the pantone color references.
Day threeā¦
Not a lot to add, but again, a few observations.
The 250 that was capped and kept in the fridge changed very little, still primary and closed.
That that was left in the 750, corked on the counter, improved, and actually did well with the supper menu I mention down thread.
Repeated here:
@wccwinegirl 's comment seems appropriate; take these to a cookout, where youāre not focusing on the wine.
The burger was charcoal grilled with Scottās Balls and finished with the Point Reys Blue, kaiware, garden tomato, grilled onion and stone mustard. Not a bashful burger.
I was surprised The Buck Shack wasnāt overwhelmed, but it held itās own.
The '13 WS CS is still trying to find itās legs.
Should have pulled that cork this morningā¦
If youāre not expecting special, and agree with the profile from the two Rats, you shouldnāt be disappointed.
Too bad the winery was a no-show, Iād liked to have asked some questions.
@ShotgunX
@rjquillin Side note
Yaāll need to try the current Flannery bacon blend burger if you havenāt.
@rjquillin Thanks. I ended up skipping it. Iām sure there will be something better between now and the time I really need some. And right on cue, todayās offeringā¦derp.
OK, just grabbed this from UPS last night, so my initial review is hurried. It was late, I was tired, but I had a job to do. I informed the husband I HAD to drink, people were depending on me, and my novice honest opinion. I made a chicken stir fry with quinoa. I opened the box in excitement, hoping for a red. It is! Itās every red. This mishmash of reds includes Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I can not taste any one over another, each non-distinguishable from the rest. It just tastes āredā, with a hint of interest from the bourbon barrel.
It is dark red/purple in color, and you canāt see through it. It has legs. It has a āheavyā mouthfeel. This is one of those bottles you bring with you as a neat gift or as a grab when arriving at a summer bbq at a friends house. This is not for the discerning taster or to impress the sommelier in your circle. Itās a blend with an interesting kick. Iāve seen these and the like in stores, and most seem to be about the same in price and taste, so grab some if it interests you, but this ādealā has not triggered a purchase for me, personally. Its good at being what it is. The price point may be a deal compared to the regular price from their site, but the case price is not much better than how much it can be found for elsewhere, without committing to 12. Donāt get me wrong, it tastes good for what it is, itās just not for me.
Iāll update tonight if day two is markedly different from day one last night. If not, have a great weekend!
@kasandrae
Your impressions seem to mesh well with mine.
@rjquillin I guess we can assume we are spot on then!!!
@kasandrae Thank you for your report. This does seem like a fun wine to bring to a summer BBQ. I really like the bottle. Appreciate the pics.
@kasandrae It is! Itās every red.
I just loved this comment.
@kasandrae This is the kind of stuff I like, and Iām considering getting a case. Could you answer a question? Does this have an acidic, ātartā feel to it that I find is common in many cheap red blends (if you tried last yearās QPR from here, you should know what Iām referencing), or is it better-rounded and savory?
@ShotgunX Iām leaning toward acidic and tartā¦Iām literally sipping it right now, day two. My husband was a second opinion and he didnāt even think about it. He said acidic and tart.
@kasandrae Ah, thanks, itās going to be a pass from me then. Shame, I expected something like this to be the opposite.
@kasandrae @ShotgunX
Iām going to be on the other side of this one.
First, it is nothing like the QPR, that I didnāt care for, other than itās red. That one is lighter and has a vegetative nose, at least at PnP. I was sorting yesterday and came across some of them so I just twisted a cap.
This one isnāt, imo, acidic or tart. Tannins, yes, but not overwhelming. They keep it from being flabby and contribute to itās dryness. Donāt know the RS but it seems low, with any sweetness provided by the ample fruit with a bit of help from the 15.5% AbV.
This is easy to drink, the QPR, eh, not so much.
@kasandrae @rjquillin Interesting. Your review was quite a bit more technical, but I didnāt want to paste the same question to two people to seem needy, so thanks for checking in.
I do like tannins, and I do like pepper (which you mentioned this lacks) - big, juicy, fruity reds with both. Does this one deliver at least somewhat in that regard? What about the barrel-aging? Did you find it present enough to be noticed?
If the needle swings away from what the QPR was (almost like diluted lemon juice), then this might still warrant a purchase.
@kasandrae @ShotgunX
It is not like the QPR, period.
Perhaps to cook with, but I want to be able to drink what I cook with, so, perhaps not.
Difficult to know where the tannins in this came from. Could have been from the original aging after fermentation, chips/staves or the BB casks, which I am totally unfamiliar with. I think were it not for whatever barrel treatments this received, it may have ended up too fruit forward and soft to hold up to much of a meal.
Tonight itās getting paired with some Flannery Kali burgers, frites, grilled mangos and grilled corn with Cotija and Quicos.
Iāve also pulled a cork on some '13 WineSmith Lake County Cab, there is some leftover '16 InZin and a couple of partial bottle PNās on standby as well; be prepared!
@kasandrae @ShotgunX
see day 3 updates above.
@rjquillin '13 Winesmith LC cab, the only WineSmith wine Iāve ever had. Quite a nice drink
@kaolis Then youāve missed some good ones.
@rjquillin @ShotgunX itās over now but let me say the two can not be compared. Apples and oranges. I hope you grabbed some to quell your interest.
I had the Buck Shack Cab when it was offered here back in March. I was really curious about the bourbon barrel aging. It was very meh and the wife absolutely hated it. Imo itās a gimmick and didnāt enhance the flavor at all to me. I canāt imagine the blend being much different. So keep it for the cool bottle, but donāt expect anything ground breaking if its anything like their cab.
@Lemming82 I find the bb aging does well for, mead, vs these for sure.
Iāve had the cabernet before and it has a few interesting qualities. I think the cab holds its own well over the course of a few days. I didnāt care for it on its pnp, but if you pour a glass and then put the cork back in and let the bottle overnight, itās much better the second day. After it had opened up, it was quite smooth, probably from the bourbon barrel. Overall, the cab wasnāt terribly special. I made a note that I wouldnāt buy it again for more than $10-12/bottle.
Bourbon barrels are for other whiskies, not wine. JMHO.
Bottles are unique, and if someone wanted all buy one, I would have gotten a single for the look of it. Doubt I would drink it because well - its very red - and itās bourbon. (not my cuppa)