Winemaker
Landon Donley
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Yountville, California, United States
- Venue
- Buccella · Winery
i. Biography
Landon Donley is winemaker at Trinchero Napa Valley in St. Helena, where his work is centered on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the particular demands of coaxing clarity, structure, and brightness from a celebrated region. His approach is rooted in a pursuit of freshness and classic varietal character, with an emphasis on the highest-quality Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley. That focus gives his wines a sense of precision and restraint, even as they remain firmly tied to the richness and reputation of the valley itself. Before arriving at this point in his career, Donley built his foundation at California State University, Long Beach, an education that helped shape the path ahead and provided the formal grounding for a life in wine.
Coming Up
Landon Donley trained at California State University, Long Beach, and that academic beginning forms the early structure of his professional story. It is the kind of start that suggests discipline and intent: a place where theory and practice meet, where the long arc of a career can begin to take shape before it ever reaches the cellar. From that foundation, his path moved toward the practical realities of winemaking, where decisions are measured in texture, balance, and the ability of a wine to speak clearly of where it comes from. The result is a career that feels built on both study and sensory judgment, a combination well suited to the exacting standards of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Where They Are Now
At Trinchero Napa Valley, Donley works as winemaker, with his role centered on Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses freshness, varietal character, and the quality associated with Napa Valley fruit. In a region so closely associated with Cabernet, that focus is both specific and expansive: specific in its devotion to a single grape, expansive in the range of expression that grape can achieve when handled with care. Donley’s stated craft is to keep that expression vivid and composed, allowing the wines to feel alive and lifted while still carrying the depth and presence expected of the region. At Trinchero Napa Valley in St. Helena, that commitment places him in the middle of a place defined by precision, attention, and the quiet discipline behind memorable bottles.
Signature
Landon's signature wines include Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon, Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen, Buccella Merlot, Buccella Mixed Blacks, and Mica. Taken together, they sketch the contours of a winemaker whose name is linked to a range of expressions, each one carrying its own character while remaining part of a larger calling. Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon and Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen anchor that list with Cabernet at the center, while Buccella Merlot and Buccella Mixed Blacks broaden the picture, and Mica rounds it out. The collection reads like a portrait of a cellar identity formed through structure, balance, and a close attention to the personality of each wine.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Landon
Where did Landon Donley train or study?
Landon Donley trained at California State University, Long Beach.
What is Landon Donley known for?
seeks to showcase the freshness and classic varietal character of the highest-quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.
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