Home
: 2009 Donelan "Obsidian Vineyard" Knights Valley Syrah

2009 Donelan "Obsidian Vineyard" Knights Valley Syrah

SKU #1164428 99 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Another wine flirting with perfection is the 2009 Syrah Obsidian Vineyard. It tastes as if it came from Michel Ogier’s Cote Brune vineyards in northern Cote Rotie. A potentially legendary Syrah, it exhibits notes of charcuterie, roasted meats, bouquet garni, blackberries, black raspberries and charcoal. The wine reveals wonderful sucrosity from the sweet tannins, ripe, but not over-ripe fruit, full body, and a finish that lasts 50 seconds. This remarkable Syrah should be a modern-day legend in California. (RP) Inner quote mark (12/2013)

95 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Sporting straight up gorgeous, savory aromatics of smoked bacon, wet slate, graphite, dark chocolate, and hints of game, the 2009 Donelan Syrah Obsidian Vineyard, 100% Syrah fermented with 40% Stem inclusion, is a profound wine that demonstrates the heights Syrah can hit in California when grown in the right places and make by the right people. Medium to full-bodied with a very tight, compact feel that gives way with air, this shows brilliantly focused, pure fruit, a seamless texture, and massive amounts of structure and substance that builds through middle, and really shows on the finish. There are huge bones here, with the only question being if it will fill in with time. Nevertheless, lovely stuff and one serious Syrah. 95+ Inner quote mark (12/2011)

95 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Another stellar wine, 2009 Syrah Obsidian Vineyard is fabulous today. In 2009, the Obsidian has a little more fruit, richness and sheer volume, all of which serve to balance some of the wilder notes of this cool-climate, marginal site. Dark, sensual and alluring, the 2009 Obsidian is firing on all cylinders today. This full-throttle Syrah should drink well for another decade, perhaps beyond. (AG) Inner quote mark (7/2013)

K&L Notes

Donelan's typically dramatic Obsidian Vineyard Syrah grows in a dramatic location, a warm, isolated valley in the northeast corner of Sonoma County, in between Alexander Valley and Calistoga, directly beneath looming Mount Saint Helena.

Share |

2009 Donelan "Obsidian Vineyard" Knights Valley Syrah

Price: $79.99

Quantity:

RP: 99

JD: 95

VN: 95

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main warehouse.

Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

Related Items

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Sonoma County

- Second in fame only to Napa, this "other" valley offers just about every climate and topography imaginable. From its cool and fog-enshrouded coastal regions on the far west, to the sprawling Alexander Valley on the boarder of Napa and the many little dips and peaks in between, Sonoma has been a vital wine-grape-growing region since the mid 1800s. Important sub-AVAs include Chalk Hill (known for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), Dry Creek Valley (where zin is king) Knights Valley (largely cabernet land), Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast (both celebrated pinot and chardonnay zones).