Donelan Family Wines, producers of award-winning California wines, announced April 2 the spring release of its highly-anticipated 2011 vintage. The release includes the Venus Roussanne, Nancie Chardonnay and Two Brothers Pinot Noir — wines that reflect a purity of fruit and suppleness from the cool late season, paired with concentrated flavor and full texture.

“The 2011 harvest season was a challenge in terms of weather. While cool temperatures decreased our yield, it also resulted in wines with sensational freshness and concentration,” says Donelan Family Wines founder, Joe Donelan. “We are serious about creating wines of strong structure and elegant complexity and our 2011 vintage beautifully represents our vision.”

While Donelan wines are often compared to gold-standard European varietals, the wines are produced to showcase the individuality and character of Sonoma County terroir. At the core of Donelan Family Wines is a tireless commitment to quality, and a passion for furthering the enjoyment and discovery of great wines by connoisseurs and novices alike.

Following are profiles and tasting notes of Donelan Family Wines’ new spring releases:

• 2011 Venus Roussanne: The Donelan 2011 Venus Roussanne is a blend comprised mainly of Roussanne grapes from Dry Stack Vineyard in Bennett Valley with a touch of Viognier from Kobler Family Vineyard in the Russian River Valley that is kissed with a hint of Chardonnay. Incredibly delicate, the rich aromas of this wine exhibit lemon rind and freesia combined with notes of tropical fruit and hints of spice and nuttiness. 165 Cases Produced, $45.00/bottle
• 2011 Nancie Chardonnay: This Chardonnay is made from a trio of cool Sonoma County Vineyards. Two are perched on Sonoma Mountain where the grapes are influenced by cool ocean breezes, rocky soils, and high elevation. The third is a Russian River Valley property bearing 30-plus year-old vines that produce a grape that is both rich in texture and minerality. Upfront, one is confronted with aromas of wet rock, lemon, mandarin and ripe honey melon.  The expectation of a rich palate is confirmed, but tethered with mineral character and plenty of energy on the long finish. 825 Cases Produced, $45.00/bottle
• 2011 Two Brothers Pinot Noir: Made with fruit from three distinct vineyards, Donelan’s 2011 Pinot Noir benefits from the fact that all three sites share similar elevation and coastal influence. Their rocky soils helped to drain moisture that arrived in late 2011, allowing winemakers to obtain early season water stress in a wet vintage, which dramatically improved concentration, color, and overall maturity of the wine.  

While more fruit-forward than the 2010, there is a compelling dimension of purity and freshness to the fruit. The spice is suggestive of cedar and cardamom, and its supple, energetic texture and minerality will excite the palate. 900 Cases Produced, $55.00/bottle