Joe Donelan fell for the Northern Rhône and set out to replicate its elegance on Sonoma's hillside sites: single-vineyard Syrah and Chardonnay from Chalk Hill and Knights Valley. Robert Parker called the Obsidian Syrah 'a candidate for perfection.' The tasting room sits in a Santa Rosa warehouse district; family pours.
Joe Donelan fell in love with the wines of the Northern Rhône and set out to replicate their elegance on Sonoma's hillside sites. His estate vineyards in Knights Valley, Russian River Valley, and other Sonoma sites produce Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay of remarkable complexity — wines shaped by cool nights, volcanic soils, and a genuine philosophical commitment to low intervention. The cellar is now led by Director of Winemaking and Viticulture David Milner, with Joe Nielsen continuing as advisor. The single-vineyard Syrahs, from sites like Obsidian in Knights Valley, are among the most compelling in California. Tasting room in Santa Rosa.
Cuvée Christine Syrah, Sonoma County — The flagship: a blend of the family's single-vineyard Syrahs, plush and savory; recent vintages have earned scores in the high 90s.
Obsidian Vineyard Syrah, Knights Valley — From Donelan's first estate vineyard, 30-year-old vines in near-pure rock; a concentrated, structured, cool-climate Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier.
Two Brothers Pinot Noir, Sonoma County — An elegant, lifted Pinot drawn from cool coastal sites.
Nancie Chardonnay, Sonoma County — A balanced, age-worthy Chardonnay and a perennial customer favorite.
Venus Roussanne-Viognier, Sonoma County — A white Rhône blend, textured and aromatic.
The Donelan family makes small-production, cool-climate wines from acclaimed Sonoma vineyards out of their Santa Rosa winery. Rhône varieties — Syrah above all — are the focus, alongside Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Grenache and white Rhône blends.
Donelan Family Wines produces small-lot, single-vineyard Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Roussanne, and Rhône blends from sites across Sonoma County — including four owned estate vineyards: Obsidian (Knights Valley), Walker Vine Hill (Russian River Valley), Kobler (Green Valley), and Richard's Family. The winery and tasting room share a building in a Santa Rosa warehouse district — the tasting experience is deliberately unpolished: a living-room-style space adjacent to the production facility. Signature bottlings include the Obsidian Syrah, Cuvée Keltie, and Two Brothers Pinot Noir blend. Robert Parker called the Obsidian Syrah “a candidate for perfection.” Reservation-only.
David Milner is Donelan's Director of Winemaking and Viticulture, the latest in a strong winemaking lineage at the boutique Sonoma label — succeeding former Head Winemaker Joe Nielsen (now Advisor), and earlier Tyler Thomas (now consulting). A Northern California native from Fairfield, Milner discovered wine while studying Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University, where his roommate worked at a local winery. The fermentation bug bit during an undergraduate brewing class. In 2009, while still in the tasting room and completing his degree, Milner produced his first batch of wine in his carport after convincing a local grower to give him a half-ton of fruit. He joined Donelan in 2017 as Cellar Master, was promoted to Assistant Winemaker under Nielsen, then took over as Head Winemaker in 2019. His winemaking philosophy: “trust your gut in making wines that clearly show where they come from.” At Donelan he leads a program of cool-climate Rhône-inspired wines — Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne — plus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with whole-cluster fermentations, native yeast, and judicious use of new oak across the portfolio.
Joe Donelan founded Donelan Family Wines in 2008, trading a career as a paper-industry executive for a life in wine after an inspired sommelier on Nantucket sparked his passion in the 1980s. He first co-founded Pax Wine Cellars in 2000, helping give California Syrah a serious identity, then launched the family label with his sons Tripp and Cushing, who lead sales, branding, and business development. Based in Santa Rosa, Donelan crafts acclaimed Syrah, Rhône blends, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from cool-climate Sonoma vineyards — two of them earning rare 100-point scores. His motto: wine is a journey, not a destination.
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Cuvée Christine Syrah, Sonoma County — The flagship: a blend of the family's single-vineyard Syrahs, plush and savory; recent vintages have earned scores in the high 90s.
Obsidian Vineyard Syrah, Knights Valley — From Donelan's first estate vineyard, 30-year-old vines in near-pure rock; a concentrated, structured, cool-climate Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier.
Two Brothers Pinot Noir, Sonoma County — An elegant, lifted Pinot drawn from cool coastal sites.
Nancie Chardonnay, Sonoma County — A balanced, age-worthy Chardonnay and a perennial customer favorite.
Venus Roussanne-Viognier, Sonoma County — A white Rhône blend, textured and aromatic.
The Donelan family makes small-production, cool-climate wines from acclaimed Sonoma vineyards out of their Santa Rosa winery. Rhône varieties — Syrah above all — are the focus, alongside Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Grenache and white Rhône blends.
Joe Donelan fell in love with the wines of the Northern Rhône and set out to replicate their elegance on Sonoma's hillside sites. His estate vineyards in Knights Valley, Russian River Valley, and other Sonoma sites produce Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay of remarkable complexity — wines shaped by cool nights, volcanic soils, and a genuine philosophical commitment to low intervention. The cellar is now led by Director of Winemaking and Viticulture David Milner, with Joe Nielsen continuing as advisor. The single-vineyard Syrahs, from sites like Obsidian in Knights Valley, are among the most compelling in California. Tasting room in Santa Rosa.
Donelan Family Wines produces small-lot, single-vineyard Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Roussanne, and Rhône blends from sites across Sonoma County — including four owned estate vineyards: Obsidian (Knights Valley), Walker Vine Hill (Russian River Valley), Kobler (Green Valley), and Richard's Family. The winery and tasting room share a building in a Santa Rosa warehouse district — the tasting experience is deliberately unpolished: a living-room-style space adjacent to the production facility. Signature bottlings include the Obsidian Syrah, Cuvée Keltie, and Two Brothers Pinot Noir blend. Robert Parker called the Obsidian Syrah “a candidate for perfection.” Reservation-only.
David Milner is Donelan's Director of Winemaking and Viticulture, the latest in a strong winemaking lineage at the boutique Sonoma label — succeeding former Head Winemaker Joe Nielsen (now Advisor), and earlier Tyler Thomas (now consulting). A Northern California native from Fairfield, Milner discovered wine while studying Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University, where his roommate worked at a local winery. The fermentation bug bit during an undergraduate brewing class. In 2009, while still in the tasting room and completing his degree, Milner produced his first batch of wine in his carport after convincing a local grower to give him a half-ton of fruit. He joined Donelan in 2017 as Cellar Master, was promoted to Assistant Winemaker under Nielsen, then took over as Head Winemaker in 2019. His winemaking philosophy: “trust your gut in making wines that clearly show where they come from.” At Donelan he leads a program of cool-climate Rhône-inspired wines — Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne — plus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with whole-cluster fermentations, native yeast, and judicious use of new oak across the portfolio.
Joe Donelan founded Donelan Family Wines in 2008, trading a career as a paper-industry executive for a life in wine after an inspired sommelier on Nantucket sparked his passion in the 1980s. He first co-founded Pax Wine Cellars in 2000, helping give California Syrah a serious identity, then launched the family label with his sons Tripp and Cushing, who lead sales, branding, and business development. Based in Santa Rosa, Donelan crafts acclaimed Syrah, Rhône blends, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from cool-climate Sonoma vineyards — two of them earning rare 100-point scores. His motto: wine is a journey, not a destination.
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