"One of Joe Donelan’s favourite vineyards and wines is his 2012 Syrah Richards Family Vineyard. (2013 was tasted from a barrel but is not yet in a bottle.) This vineyard is located in Annadel State Park in Sonoma County. It is considered a warmer region, but this is an east-facing, isolated vineyard. The wine is 100% Syrah aged in 45% new French oak for a whopping 34 months before bottling. The extended ageing seems to calm down this wine, which has an incredible density of fruit, mostly blackberry, blueberry, and cassis, a brooding smell of subtle barbecue smoke and charcoal, full-bodied opulence, and a terrific finish with great density. This is a stunner and one of the superstars of a great lineup of wines. Drink it over the next 15 years." 96+ Points Robert M Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate, 2016-2031

The company motto is˜Wine is a Journey, not a Destination and clearly indicates the ethos of Donelan Family Wines. Founded by Joe Donelan, who now runs the business alongside his sons Cushing and Tripp, Donelan is a small, boutique Sonoma winery producing Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier. Producing just 8,000 cases annually, they prize quality over all other factors. Simply put, they think wine should taste great and work with every vintage and every grape to achieve this goal, always recognizing that next year will bring another step on the road.