2013 Donelan Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard

Coming from the Green Valley region of the Russian River Valley (this is a cooler terroir), the 2013 Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard is always cofermented with a big chunk of Viognier (10% in 2013) and is aged mostly in neutral oak. It offers an ethereal, elegant and seamless style as well as classic notes of black raspberries, white pepper, rose petals and white cherries (no doubt from the Viognier). Nuanced and deep, with a great finish, it’s never the largest scaled wine in the lineup, but it shines for it complexity and incredible elegance. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.

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. Drink it over the next decade.

The 2013 Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard wraps around the palate with gorgeous richness and silkiness. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, blood orange and violets flesh out in an effortless, gracious Syrah. The 2013 is a real pleasure to taste today. A host of floral and savory notes appear as the wine opens up in the glass, but above all else the Kobler is a Syrah built on texture.