Description
Founded by Joe Donelan, who now runs the business alongside his sons Cushing and Tripp, Donelan is a small, boutique Sonoma winery producing Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier. Producing just 8,000 cases per year they prize quality over all other factors. They are becoming known for their exceptionally small-release bottlings of vinous experimentations: clonal varietals, site specific variations and the like. This factor has turned them from being a first-class winery into also being internationally recognised for leading this type of small-batch production.
"The family of Syrahs at Donelan are all stunning, and several have a Côte-Rôtie-like personality. Certainly that’s true of the 2013 Syrah Kobler FamilyVineyard, which is 90% Syrah co-fermented with 10% Viognier and aged in about 7% new oak for 20 months prior to bottling. From a cool site in Green Valley, this wine displays sweet blackberry, black cherry, white peach and apricot notes that soar from the glass in the uplifted aromatics. The wine hits the palate with flesh, a Côte-Rôtie-like elegance and complexity, and a medium to full-bodied, long finish." 94 Points Robert M Parker, The Wine Advocate, 2016-2026