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 2015 Chardonnay Nancie was aged in French barrels for 11 months, 20% new, and did not go through malolactic. It opens with a nose of ripe nectarines, pineapples and guava with underlying notes of butterscotch, cedar and brioche. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly fruited with plenty of vivacity, delivering intense tropical and stone fruit flavors plus a satiny texture and long finish, with a little cedar poking through." 93+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate