Buckel Family Wine 'Hawks Nest Vineyard' Pinot Noir, Colorado

Bright Pinot Noir fruit meets supple texture and age-worthy structure in 2024 Buckel Family Wine 'Hawks Nest Vineyard' Pinot Noir, a small-production expression from Hawks Nest Vineyard on Colorado's high-desert plateau. A three-day cold soak and fermentation in one-ton open-top fermenters are followed by ten months in French oak, preserving the wine's fruit-driven character while building depth and tannic definition. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it reflects founders Joe and Shamai Buckel's commitment to Colorado-grown fruit, minimal-intervention winemaking, and wines shaped by the state's distinctive high-elevation landscapes.

Product Details:

• Founders & Owners: Joe and Shamai Buckel
• Winemaker: Joe Buckel
• Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
• Vineyard: Hawks Nest Vineyard
• Vinification: Three-day cold soak followed by fermentation in one-ton open-top fermenters
• Aging: 10 months in French oak barrels
• Fining & Filtration: Unfined and unfiltered
• Bottling: August 2025
• Alcohol: 13.4%
• Production: 169 cases

Sensory Description:

Fruit-driven and expressive, with the freshness and aromatic lift associated with Pinot Noir balanced by a more substantial tannic framework. The palate combines bright fruit with measured oak influence, developing additional texture and complexity without losing its energetic character. Fine structure and a composed finish give the wine enough immediacy for current drinking while supporting the producer's intention of an age-worthy expression from Hawks Nest Vineyard.

Winemaker's Background:

Buckel Family Wine is a family-owned Colorado winery founded by Joe and Shamai Buckel, whose shared connection to mountain life helped shape their decision to build a winery away from the conventional West Coast centers of American wine. Based in Gunnison, the couple works with vineyards across Colorado's Western Slope and surrounding high-elevation growing areas, seeking fruit that reflects the state's dry climate, intense sunlight and dramatic landscapes. Joe Buckel leads the winemaking, drawing on professional experience in California and Oregon while pursuing a deliberately minimal-intervention approach centered on Colorado-grown grapes, small lots and restrained cellar handling. The winery emphasizes sustainably farmed fruit, zero added sugar, low sulfite use and wines intended to preserve the individual character of their vineyard sources. The You Are Beautiful label also carries a personal connection to the Buckels' mountain surroundings, having been inspired by a chairlift ride in the snow-covered Rocky Mountains and the simple impact of being told, "you are beautiful."

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at 55-65°F in a Burgundy-style wine glass, allowing the wine's fruit and structure to open while retaining its freshness. Buckel recommends simple roasted chicken, a salmon poke bowl or black bean beef and broccoli, pairings that complement Pinot Noir's combination of fruit, acidity and supple tannin. Its balanced structure also makes it equally comfortable as a bottle for relaxed gatherings or celebratory meals.