2019 Donelan Cuvée Christine

The 2019 Syrah Cuvée Christine is superb. Rich, ample and explosive, 2019 saturates the palate with inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, bittersweet chocolate, spice, tapenade and dried herbs. The 40% stems are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. The blend of sites in Knights Valley, Green Valley, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley works so well. Gorgeous.

A rich, clear purple, the 2019 Syrah Cuvee Christine (named after Joe’s wife) unfolds in the glass, revealing notes of graphite, blackberry, lavender, and smoky earth. Full-bodied and fully dry, it has impeccable balance, a core of black raspberry fruit, and ripe tannins, with a long finish and great purity throughout. It is packed with a lot of value and should have fantastic longevity over the next ten years. Drink 2023-2033. Joe Donelan came to the wine world after he received what he calls “a life-changing education” from a sommelier on Nantucket in the 1980s. Today he is joined by his two sons, Tripp and Cushing, who oversee sales and marketing respectively. David Milner has been the head winemaker since 2017 after previously working at Groth and Eisele Vineyard. Donelan himself has worked with the Obsidian Vineyard in Knights Valley since 2001 and was able to purchase the site in 2015. Sadly, in 2017, the vineyard fell victim to that year’s fires, but 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, although they are wines with finesse and elegance. I am especially a fan of the wines they’re producing in the cooler Bennett Valley. The wines for this report were tasted at their Santa Rosa winery in May.