2018 Donelan Syrah Judge Vineyard

Named as a tribute to the farmer Joe Judge, the 2018 Syrah Judge Vineyard moves into black and blue fruit, with blackberry liqueur, candied lavender, and black pepper. The palate is full and long, with ripe plum, turned soil, and tea leaf. It has a lot of elegance and youthful appeal now, but it will improve with a year or two in bottle and drink well 2024-2032. Joe Donelan came to the wine world from the perspective of a sommelier, where he had worked at Toppers on Nantucket in the 1980s. This year marks his 23rd vintage, with his two sons, Tripp and Cushing, overseeing sales and marketing respectively. David Milner has been the head winemaker since 2017 after previously working at Groth and Eisele Vineyard. Having worked with the Obsidian Vineyard in Knights Valley since 2001, Donelan was able to purchase the site in 2015. In 2017, the vineyard was victim to that year’s fires, so they have since put a new emphasis on replanting with greater vine density. The style of the estate certainly does not shy away from ripeness, though they are wines with finesse and elegance. I am especially a fan of the wines they are producing in the cooler Bennett Valley.