2015 Donelan Syrah Grande
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Tasting notes
One of the many highlights of this range, the 2015 Syrah Grande is dense and powerful in the glass. A rich mélange of blueberry jam, white flowers, crushed rocks, lavender and menthol infuses this unctuous, full-bodied Syrah. A wine of weight and substance, the 2015 is simply fabulous. A superb debut.
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
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The 2015 Syrah Grande is the first vintage of this wine. "We isolated the afternoon side of a few rows and picked and fermented them separately," says winemaker David Milner. It was made using 30% whole cluster and 50% new oak (all Darnajou barrels). Deep ruby-purple colored, it is still very youthfully coiled on the nose, with some oaky aromas giving way to a dense black fruit core with accents of turned soil, leather, garrigue and bitter chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, that oak is still present in the mouth, again slowly opening to dark fruits and savory chocolate hints, framed by very firm, slightly chewy tannins and finishing long. This has great potential, but I'm a little concerned about that oak. Only about 50 cases were made.