Syrah Season
Syrah — sexy, decadent, bold, velvety, and hedonistic. These are just a few attributes that describe this beautiful grape, but there aren’t enough adjectives in the dictionary to truly give it justice. It’s a varietal of everlasting discovery, which is why it is the cornerstone of our brand. It started when Joe Donelan fell in love with Rhône varietals while dining at his favorite restaurant in Massachusetts. Soon after, he set out on a mission to make wines that would change the world — and the adage, “The best wines are not made, they are discovered,” was born.
What is Syrah Season?
Syrah is the primal element of what we do and who we are at Donelan Family Wines. With so many seasons to celebrate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé, we are excited to introduce Syrah Season.
From January to March, we will introduce you to the intricacies of making Syrah, the unique vineyard sites we source from, delectable food pairings, and our favorite occasions for it to be enjoyed with.
Syrah Season is also a beautiful time to visit Sonoma County. The crisp, morning winter air has moved in, crowds have diminished, and the new vintages are aging in barrel and bottle. Mustard begins to grow among the vines, and the hustle and bustle of summer is replaced with more intimate tastings and more time to savor the experiences.
The Donelan Syrahs
When it comes to crafting and producing our Syrahs, we combine passion and patience in seeking out unique vineyard sites that are able to portray the qualities this varietal has to offer. When it comes to finding a new vineyard site, it should feel like you’re hearing a great song for the very first time. Each of our five Syrah wines have their own personalities, which stem (quite literally) from their roots.
Obsidian Vineyard’s soil structure brings immeasurable complexity, producing a Syrah with an expansive mouthfeel intertwined with notes of chocolate, currants, and fig.
In the Richards Vineyard, we’ve learned to let the terroir do the heavy-lifting. The resulting Syrah gives off hints of sage and truffle on the nose developing into notes of decadent sea-salt chocolate and hot fudge — a wine with nuances of layers that evolve in the glass with every sip.
The Cuvèe Christine Syrah is silky with an uplifting finish and is a wine that truly lives up to its name. Its grapes are grown from a few hand-selected vineyard plots making it the perfect masterpiece.
Kobler Vineyard’s distinguished cool temperatures produce a Syrah co-fermented with Viognier, giving it a complex personality that is savory, seductive and intoxicating all at the same time.
The Cuvèe Keltie Syrah also comes from different vineyards giving the wine its expressive personality. This wine is bold with hints of espresso, tobacco, and graphite.
From now through March, we invite you to join us for an intimate tasting experience in the heart of Santa Rosa. Savor a selection of Donelan Syrahs for yourself, and taste the passion, heart, and soul that went into making it.
Cheers to Syrah Season!