2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Inky purple in color. The nose is bright black raspberry fruit with some char. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Black raspberry fruit. Works well with food. This is an outstanding wine, but at age 9, it is not showing the depth and complexity that might have been expected. The question is whether it will develop. 2009 had heavy rains at harvest and pick dates often separated the great from the almost great. It will be interesting to see where this goes over the next five to ten years. Regardless, this is at a minimum, still a great wine.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2009

2004 Pax Syrah Walker Vine Hill, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2004

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$55.00USD

From a different time, back when Pax Mahle was making really big wines in really big bottles. The label lists 15.5% ABV. For those who questioned how well a wine like this could age, at 17, this is doing just fine with years left. Purple in color with ruby around the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, slight black raspberries, spice, slight root beer note and a wisp of smoke. Full bodied. On the palate, black cherries, blueberries, spice and slight earthiness. Long finish. No sign of alcohol in the wine. This is fresh and vibrant. It seems like it could

2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone events in Paso Robles, California from May 1 to 3, 2008 was an opportunity to consider Rhone-style wines from a fresh perspective. Unlike most tasting opportunities, these events included Rhone-style wines from the Rhone Valley itself (51 wineries), elsewhere in France (4 wineries) as well as from Spain (4 wineries), Australia (17 wineries), South Africa (6 wineries), Chile (2 wineries), Argentina (1 winery) and the United States. The American wines were mostly from California (144 wineries), but a few examples from Arizona (2 wineries) and Washington State (5 wineries) were also included. While this is a California-dominated event, and while many of the Rhone Valley’s best producers aren’t represented, there is still sufficient European and other entries to make for interesting comparisons and contrasts. The events included two general tastings and a series of focused seminars.

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America’s Best Rhone Style Red Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Last month we discussed the white Rhone style wines offered at the 2008 Rhone Rangers tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco on March 18. This month we turn to the reds, of which we tasted 50. Among those we tasted were some old favorites and some wineries or bottlings with which we were not yet familiar. We don’t pretend that we tasted a representative group of wines, because our sample was skewed to wines we have loved in the past and others about which we have heard positive comments.

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Top Ten California Syrahs - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2014 Donelan Syrah Obsidian Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Knights Valley Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$100.00USD

From Magnum. This bottle was opened and allowed to breather for six hours prior to serving. It needed every bit of that and more. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted herbs, slight earthiness and slight floral qualities. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, lot of black raspberry fruit with a bit of roasted meats and black pepper. Though there is a lot of fruit, this is not over ripe at all. Juicy acidity works well with the food. This is still young and will likely improve over the next five years. The wine has already improved since t

2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

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