Donelan: The Rhone Ranger

For me, it all started with Italy and France. However, as I continue to immerse myself in wine and force myself to explore, I’ve realized that it’s impossible for one person to understand it all. I often feel like I have a gauge on things, only to find myself reeling from a taste of something different. My current work with Snooth has opened my eyes to many new things (a great reason for all of us to explore the unknown). Rhone varieties, outside of the Rhone, have been my focus of late.

If you love Chateauneuf du Pape, Hermitage, Cotie Rotie, or Cotes du Rhone, then you understand my newfound passion. First it was an article about pairing Syrah, where I discovered the 2008 Clos de Gat Syrah Har’El from Israel, a wine that I still think about on a regular basis. Soon I was hunting for Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne and Petite Sirah. This hunt has taken me around Europe, Australia, South Africa, and of course, the United States, where I came upon The Rhone Rangers.

The Rhone Rangers is an organization devoted to the promoting of Rhone Varieties in the United States with almost 200 winery members from California, Oregon, Washington and New York. The list of wineries is impressive and extensive, with names such as Ridge Vineyards, Qupe, Bonny Doon, L’Adventure, and Larkmead filling their ranks.

However, at a recent tasting, the winery that really turned my head is also a new name to me, but a staple in the Rhone Ranger movement; that winery is Donelan. The wines were stunning; they were focused and pure, rooted firmly in the earth, yet with intense fruit and serious depth. Most could use a few years in bottle to truly shine, but all were highly enjoyable and blossomed in the glass. For those of you unfamiliar with Donelan Vineyards, you may recognize them for their previous work under the name Pax Wine Cellars. Joe Donelan and winemaker Tyler Thomas are continuing that legacy, making a selection of Rhone varieties, as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool climate sights in Sonoma.

These are not over the top, highly extracted and heavily oaked wines either. The Donelan lineup highlighted the terroir of each sight, in many cases including a percentage of stems during fermentation and giving a nod to more traditional winemaking techniques. One fellow taster commented to me that they (Donelan) had dialed it back a bit. If that’s so, I think they may have just hit their sweet spot. If you enjoy the wines of the Northern Rhone, you owe it to yourself to check out Donelan.

On to the wines:

2010 Donelan Venus – The nose showed peach with citrus, spicy floral note and wet mineral stone. On the palate, it was soft and caressing with white fruits and a core of tart apple acidity and minerals. The finish was long and staying with spice notes and citrus fruits. (91 points) Available for sale at Donelan Wines.

2010 Donelan Cuvée Moriah – This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre impressed me with its rich yet playful personality. On the nose, I found spicy, red and blackberry fruit with a hint of orange peel, mint and floral tones. On the palate, it was intense yet showed pure cherry fruits, herb and spice notes with a savory quality through to the long, staying finish. (92 points) Available for sale at Donelan Wines.

2010 Donelan Syrah Cuvée Christine – The nose showed dark wild berries, exotic spice and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, it had medium weight with a balanced spark of acidity, showing ripe red and black fruits, lavender, hints of pepper and inner floral notes. The long and staying finish revealed hints of this wine’s structure and likely its ability to age. (93 points) Available for sale at Donelan Wines.

2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill – The nose of the Walker Vine Hill Syrah truly draws you in with ripe red and blue fruits, spiced cookie and rosemary. On the palate, it was vibrant, truly exciting the senses, yet rich and dark with flavors of black cherry. The finish was long and showed great balance, as the dark red fruits slowly faded to reveal this wine’s refined structure. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2010 Donelan Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard – In a blind tasting, it would be hard to imagine this wine coming from anywhere other than the Northern Rhone. The nose was intense and savory, showing blackberries with exotic spice, nori, fennel olive and hints of white pepper. On the palate, it started smooth as silk, yet quickly revealed a firm structure with red and black fruits turning tart into the long finish. With a few years’ time, I believe this wine will be glorious. (93 points) Available for sale at Donelan Wines.

The Sweet Spot for Syrah

Recently, I was treated to a night of older Syrah. After a month of tasting recent vintages, this was truly a special treat. For me, it is new ground as well. Our host, Greg dal Piaz of Snooth, explained that the sweet spot for Syrah was in the 10–15 year drinking window, with modern renditions peaking at this time and traditional bottles just hitting their pride. After this tasting, I completely agree, at least from the bottles presented. However, that’s not to say that the older bottles didn’t hold their ground.

What was even more interesting was how differently the two styles showed in terms of new world versus old yet how enjoyable they both were for their unique characteristics. The Old World Syrahs from the northern Rhone were smooth and savory with earthy, meaty and smoky notes that continued to evolve in the glass. The new world renditions were fleshier and more exotic, still earthy but with riper fruit that was not offensive in any way.

For my personal tastes, I’d take home the 1995 Delas Bessard Hermitage, but I must admit to being highly intrigued by the sweet intoxicating aromas of the 1994 Swanson Syrah from Napa Valley.

I seriously urge my readers to try more Syrah. No matter what style of wine you like, you can find a Syrah to fit your tastes, even if your tastes are aged wine. As you can see from my notes, most of these bottles were in beautiful form.

On to the wines:

1988 Edmunds St John Sonoma Syrah – The nose showed dried cherry, vegetal stems, old cinnamon stick, moss, and hints of old library book. It was ripe and mature at the same time. On the palate, it was soft and velvety with fading blackberry and prunes. The finish was staying and featured sweet blackberry fruit and citrus rinds. (90 points)

1988 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde – At first the Brune et Blonde was pungent with barnyard and earth, but as it sat in the glass, notes of warm blackberry tart with a whiff of raw smoked bacon and chalky minerals came forward. On the palate, it was clean and bright with sour blackberry fruit and savory meaty notes. Pepper and herbs dominated the finish and completed the experience. Beautiful. (92 points)

1994 Columbia Crest Reserve (15% Grenache) – On the nose, I found browned butter and black fruit with herbs, dark wood tones, a hint licorice and undergrowth. On the palate, it was rich yet fresh with dark fruits, savory saucy notes, and herbal tones. It was energetic and fun with lots of acidity and bacon notes on the finish. (91 points)

1994 Swanson Syrah Napa Valley – The nose was infectious to the point that it was hard to pull away from it. It showed sweet maraschino cherry with cinnamon, medicinal herbs and floral notes, yet as sweet and rich as it was, it had finesse and elegance. On the palate, I found black fruits and spice, which gained depth and followed across the palate like silk until the close where juicy acidity turned to sour juicy fruit that stayed through the finish. (93 points)

1995 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards – The nose was deep, layered and constantly changing. It showed savory leather and beef jerky, and it then turned to noxious floral notes with chalky minerals and undergrowth. On the palate, it was balanced, juicy and savory with blackberry, pepper, and kale. The finish was clean and pure with great balanced acidity keeping it fresh. (94 points)

1995 Charles Melton Barossa Shiraz – The nose was big and rich, almost palatable, like a doughnut shop with vanilla, raspberry and candies. On the palate, it was mouth-filling and sticky with black fruits, sweet spices and a big sticky sweet finish. (85 points)

1996 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage – The nose showed sweet floral notes, black tea, stony minerals, earth, black pepper and a hint of parchment. On the palate, it was velvety and savory with excellent balance showing sour berries, black soil, bell pepper and leather. The finish was beautifully smooth and lasting. (93 points)

1996 Columbia Winery Syrah Red Willow Vineyard– The nose showed raw dough, vitamins, iron, and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it was sweet and broad at first, yet it then turned to sour black fruits with lots of acidity. Sour turned juicy on the finish and left the palate refreshed. (88 points)