Donelan Wines

“This is a fascinating group of wines from extremely cool climate Sonoma sites made by proprietor Joe Donelan and his winemaker, Tyler Thomas. They have produced an exceptionally elegant portfolio of 2009s that is true to the character of this cooler than normal vintage. This winery, which was originally known as Pax Cellars, has always produced remarkable Syrahs and the early vintages are aging fabulously well.”
– Robert Parker in the Wine Advocate #193, February 28, 2011

Winery

Donelan Family Wines strives to produce the best vineyard-designated Syrah and other Rhône varietals from the North Coast of California. Based in Santa Rosa, CA, Donelan produces pure, unadulterated wines that emulate the great wines of the Rhone by working with only top quality fruit and limited new oak. They are a pleasure to drink on release but will also reward your patience as they age gracefully in your cellar. The Donelan Family believes they have yet to hit their stride in their quest to create provocative, reference-point wines but have already received outstanding accolades from major reviewers for their first vintage.

The winery’s first vintage was 2000, at which point they were known as Pax Wine Cellars, now a prestigious name among California wineries. With the 2008, Pax Wine Cellars ceased to exist as the Donelan Family went in a new direction, changing the winery’s name, focusing even more on an old-world style, while maintaining all of their long-term relationships with their growers. Owner Joe Donelan believes that by sourcing from only the very best vineyards, the wine produced will capture the purest expression of the fruit in each bottle. They embrace the growing season and farm, pick and vinify to the best of their abilities with the sole intention of crafting the very best wines possible.

Donelan’s new winemaker is a young but incredibly talented young man named Tyler Thomas, who maintains expressing a sense of place as a governing value for his wines. Bottling the passion of our growers, the diversity of each vineyard, and ensuring through experimentation in the cellar the originality of each high-quality wine are Tyler’s primary goals.

Visit the Winery at donelanwines.com.

Wines

Cuvee Christine 2008

The 2008 Christine is a blend of 4 vineyards. Predominately from mountain-grown fruit, fermented 40% whole cluster, and with a bit more new oak than some of their other bottlings, Cuvee Christine strikes a balance between “new world” Syrahs with more fruit and richness while still retaining some of the classic “old world” savory elements of the variety. The nose is reminiscent of cherry licorice, or even warm bramble berry tart with cinnamon and clove. The wine also features characteristics like thyme and anise with a mineral element that is difficult to deconstruct but provides balance to a soft and wonderfully persistent mouthfeel.

The 2008 Donelan Syrah Cuvee Christine is a St.-Joseph/Crozes-Hermitage style of Syrah produced from four separate Sonoma County vineyards with 40% whole clusters. It reveals a dark plum/purple color as well as sweet, smoky, meaty, foresty notes with hints of fruitcake, black raspberry, and dark cherries in the background. Fresh, lively, and full-bodied with remarkably delicate, vibrant fruit as well as over 15% alcohol, this big, chewy red can be drunk over the next 7-10 years.
90-93 points, Wine Advocate, 2/2010

The 2008 Donelan Syrah Cuvée Christine is 100% Syrah from four
different Sonoma County vineyards. More ripe and forward than the
Kobler Family Vineyard, it displays meaty aromatics of spiced cherries
and blackberry fruits that are intermixed with violets, potpourri, dried
flowers, smoked meats, and leather. Medium to full bodied on the palate
with juicy fruit, a viscous, rich texture, solid tannin structure and racy
acidity that carries into a long, chewy finish, this awesome wine should
drink beautifully for 12 to 15 years. A great mix of California fruit with a
northern Rhone kick.
94 points, The Rhone Report

This elegantly fruity wine is made for drinking now with spicy meats, like sausages and lamb chops. It’s dry and velvety in the mouth, with appealing flavors of raspberries and cherries, Dr. Pepper cola and peppery spices, accented with sweet, smoky oak.
90 points, Wine Enthusiast, June 2011

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Cuvee Moriah 2008

Losing their Mourvedre and Counoise to smoke problems in the Sonoma-County vineyard in 2008, the blend was created from Grenache (66%) and Syrah (34%). The Grenache, fermented 100% whole cluster, provides herbes de Provence, raspberry, and kirsch flavors. Additionally it provides the skeleton of the wine with its crisp and supple mouthfeel. After multiple blending trials however, Donelan continued to enjoy the “stuffing” that Syrah lent to the mid-palate. Carefully preserving the Grenache character, this is a spectacular, fresh, supple wine that the winery believes is one of the most versatile wines they offer for pairing with food. Truly a great Sonoma county wine.

The Donelan 2008 Cuvee Moriah is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Tyler Thomas used most of the stems, just as Pax Mahle did in 2007. The 2008 exhibits a slightly darker color as well as loads of raspberry and kirsch notes intermixed with lavender, earth, pepper, and spice. It, too, should be consumed during its first 4-5 years of life. If the 2007 tastes like a high-class Cotes du Rhone, the 2008 resembles a Chateauneuf du Pape given its denser, fuller style. Both are beautiful efforts that tip the scale at 15+% alcohol.
89-91 points, Wine Advocate, 2/2010

Easily my favorite vintage of this wine to date, the 2008 Donelan Cuvée
Moriah, a blend of 70% Grenache and the rest Syrah, shows perfumed,
nuanced aromatics of dried flowers, lavender, leather, underbrush, and
touches of pepper, all wrapped around perfectly ripe, spicy red (and
some black) fruits. Medium bodied on the palate, the wine shows
impressive focus and delineation, while at the same time carrying a soft,
round texture, good acidity, sweet fruit, and a long finish. A fantastic
drink now, this should continue to perform brilliantly for a decade.
91 points, The Rhone Report


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Walker Vine Hill 2008

In 2008, there was great fruit to be had, but it had to be discovered. Affected by frost, picking row by row to mark the frost helped us re-discover some of the natural difference across designated “blocks” in the vineyard. Surprising variation in soil depth and water availability which leads to significant differences in cluster/berry size and over all complexity and quality. The 2008 vintage was harvested over four separate passes through the vineyard, unveiling the best fruit of the vintage. While excess heat in the beginning of September seemed to accelerate ripening, a significant cooling the rest of the month meant that this parcel was harvested near its average date toward the beginning of October. The four harvests led to 6 fermentation lots and blending trials ensued during the summer of 09. With the mandate of “only the best,” production will be limited in 2008 but quality may well be superior to the previous two vintages for its purity, depth, breadth, length, and…silkiness. Pure plums and blueberry provide a dark “blue” core (Like the bottle’s wax top) complemented by smoke and flint. Enticing and seductive on the nose, the 2008 is silky and smooth, with mulitple layers and dimensions.

The 2008 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill (100% Syrah, 55% whole clusters) possesses slightly lower alcohol (15.6% versus 15.9% in 2007). It represents a hypothetical Euro/California hybrid blend. More concentrated than the 2007, the inky/purple-hued, full-bodied 2008 reveals beautiful blue and black fruits intermixed with hints of graphite, toast, roasted Provencal herbs, meat juices, and pepper. Gorgeous purity, a fabulous texture, and a long, 40+ second, full-bodied finish suggest this terrific wine will drink well for 10-15 years.
94-97 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2/2010

Amazingly pure and layered, the 2008 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill, 100% Syrah fermented with a little over 50% whole cluster, shows an elegant, seamless nature with plum and cassis fruit, spiced meats, smoke, and dried flowers on the nose. These aromas and flavors carry over to the palate, where the wine shows medium to full body, an exceptional, silky, seamless texture, perfect balance, and a finish that just won’t quite. Elegant, silky and seamless are the buzzwords here. Approachable and delicious now, this should age easily over a decade given the balance and purity.
96 points, The Rhone Report

Very young, needs plenty of time. Still showing fermentation notes, with brisk, grapey acidity and primary cherry and raspberry fruit flavors. Seems brilliantly constructed and capable of aging, though. Hold until after 2012.
92 points, Wine Enthusiast, Jun 2011

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Kobler Family Vineyard 2009

Please inquire about this wine

The 2009 is a co-fermentation of 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier fermented with 70% whole cluster (a reduction from the 100% whole cluster of the previous 5 vintages). It will be aged 18 months in French oak (0% new) prior to bottling. The aromas in this vintage are riddled with classic black and white pepper, black berry, and cured meats. Though lower in alcohol than 2008, this vintage appears to be weightier and richer though still within the confines of freshness we expect from this northern Rhone-like site. While aromatically more available than many previous vintages at this young stage, we hope it will prove to be a very age-worthy version of Kobler Family Vineyard wine.

The 2009 Syrah Kobler Vineyard comes from the cool climate of the Green Valley, which borders the Sonoma Coast appellation. This Cote Rotie-inspired Syrah is co-fermented with 5-10% Viognier. The 2009 is a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier with 70% stems utilized. The alcohol of 13.8% is relatively modest by Syrah standards. An exotic perfume of lychee nuts, white peaches, black cherries, black currants and subtle oak emerges from the glass of this delicate, medium-bodied, concentrated red wine. It possesses terrific fruit as well as an elegance and freshness that are French-like. Enjoy it over the next decade.
92-94 points, Wine Advocate, 2/2010

An amazing wine, massively concentrated in fruit, yet beautifully balanced. Clearly one of the greatest California Syrahs of the vintage. Dry and complex, it shows intricate flavors of blackberries, Canadian bacon, mushu pork sauce, black pepper and smoky cedar flavors. Gorgeous and compelling, but far too young. Drink 2012–2018.
94 points, Wine Enthusiast, “Top 100 Cellar Selections”, December 2011

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Richards Family Vineyard Syrah 2008

Please inquire about this wine

Richard’s Family Vineyard is nestled in the Schultz Valley near Annadel State Park in Sonoma Valley. While generally conceived as a warmer region, this east facing isolated parcel buttressed to the west by the Sonoma Mountains is surprisingly cool and produces excellent Sonoma valley wine. This young planting has already produced several vintages of Sonoma valley wine with great character. The rocky soils used to provide footing for a lavender farm. Most of the lavender was replaced with Syrah, but several rows remain enticing us to believe they leave their own mark in each vintage.

This is not only one of the best Syrahs of the vintage, it’s easily the greatest Syrah ever produced from Sonoma Valley. Stuns with its soft, complex, black and blue berry, teriaki beef, black pepper and sandalwood flavors. The depth is unbelievable, the length impressive. Clearly a first growth Syrah, and should develop bottle complexity for the next six years, if not longer. S.H
97 points, Wine Enthusiast, June 2011

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