Stuart Pollack

9.3

Deep contemplative Syrah tasting of black raisins and dried cherries, with a smoky finish. At $70 a little pricey for what it was but still a wine worth trying. Well-made. — 10 days ago

James Forsyth

9.3

By coincidence I had two Donelan whites on near consecutive nights. The Chard is pretty punchy. Lemon and minerals. Some brioche. Tasty. Like a flat Bollinger. — 4 years ago

Peter Montoleone

9.0

Needs to open up 30 minutes or so. Once opened smooth at first with big tannic finish. — 5 years ago

JKT

9.1

CVed 2/10/18 comp of Pax Donelan Syrah. Interestingly the nose more like Donelan with hint of sweetness and prominent dark fruits. But palate is leaner and firmer than new world. — 6 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.4

Reached pretty far back in the cellar for this one. Pax Mahl was making some terrific wines out of his eponymous winery (Obsidian and Griffin’s Lair were my favorites), until some sort of flare-up between him and Joe Donelan eventually resulted in them splitting the vineyard accesses between them and shutting down the winery. After 15 years, this wine is still going strong. Great example of a cooler climate north coast syrah. — 3 years ago

with Vanessa

Sanford Peisner

9.3

Loved the wine. Kept getting better. Great forward fruit Apple with hints of vanilla. — 4 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.4

A lovely escape from the Cabernet Frenzy. This is pure Mendocino Ridge - rose petal, pure berry flavor, and crystalline minerals. Flowing and beautiful — 6 years ago

JKT

9.2

CVed 5/10/17. Thought it was the 2001. Took an hour for nose to open up. Wild floral notes mixed with spicy gamey smoky bacon. Still tannic and acids on palette with long acidic and leather and biting finish. Needs time but already impressive! CVed again 8/17/17 comp with Cote Rotie Chapoutier and Calif Syrah Cabot Donelan. Same impression. A bit of lingering heat on finish. Ranked it number one. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.4

I opened this with some friends and it was alongside a 2003 Saxum Bone Rock (good, drink up), 2013 Donelan Obsidian (wow! Cayuse like), a 2013 SQN Le Supplement (massive and spectacular), and a 2016 The Third Twin Nuestra (feral, wild, cerebral).

While this was a fantastic bottle, I think it’s going to get slightly better (it bulked up and added a touch more of everything on day two). Undeniably Cayuse in style, but more northern Rhône Syrah than new world Syrah. Aromatically you are hit with that classic funk that Cayuse is known for...black olive, iron, mineral, and fox fur. Not sure of the whole cluster use here but it comes across as fairly strong/green with fruit notes of underripe black cherry. The splash of Viognier that Cayuse utilizes for their Cailloux makes this so perfumed. On the palate, it really shines showing iron, teriyaki, and olive tapenade. The savoriness of these wines meshes well with the fruit as age sets in and the fruit returns towards the back of the palate...blackberry, mulberry, and spicy rhubarb pie. Fantastic now, possibly outstanding in the next 2-3yrs. If opening soon, decant a couple hours and you’ll be golden. — 3 years ago

with Weston, Jeff and 2 others

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

First winery on day two in Sonoma was Donelan Family Wines in Santa Rosa with Meredith. First red up was the Two Brothers Pinot Noir which comes from four separate vineyards in Sonoma County; 41% from Steiner Ranch, 26% from Walker Vine Hill, 21% from Devoto and 12% from Perli. Namesake is for the two sons, Tripp and Cushing. Aged for 18 months in 17% new French oak. 1,630 cases produced.

Medium garnet red with some ruby in the core. A touch of greenery on the nose with some twigs and strawberries. A touch of tobacco and cedar too. Medium acidity (6.5/10) with a light plus to medium body. Layered palate with notes of cinnamon, violet, white pepper, plums and a touch of mushrooms. Medium plus finish with a little bit of iron coming through. Drink till 2021.

$$ - Tasted at the winery. Retail price is $55.00. — 5 years ago

with India