As a young boy, Ron Donati grew up in South San Francisco, the son of a first generation Italian-American family. One of his fondest memories was the sights and smells of his grandfather making wine in his basement. Like most Italian immigrants, Albino Donati made his own wine for the family dinner table. As an adult, Ron became a successful entrepreneur with a penchant for making quality products that were attainable to all, not just a select few. This same passion serves as the foundation and guiding mission of Donati Family Vineyard today. It is our goal to produce wines of exceptional quality regardless of budget.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2022 Donati ‘Ezio’ Cabernet Sauvignon - $45 = 19.99%
I’ve long been intrigued by Donati winery, partially from their family story and partially because there was a Mr. Donati who coached wrestling & football at my middle school. He was one of those small but mighty gentlemen who was as broad as he was tall. Serious business, just like this wine. The bottle is sealed with a synthetic cork that pulled easily and had very little staining. Pop ‘n pour into a large glass, 63F, the wine is a brilliant magenta with no browning. It has a savory herbal nose, hints of chocolate and cherry buried deep in the recesses of the wine. No noticeable oak, light on the palate, soft cherry of the tart variety. It has pithy, earthy fruit, grippy tannin without astringency and a long meandering finish that winds through fruit, spice, raspberry, mace, toasty oak and black tea. What an interesting wine, probably needs a decant.
After a night on the counter this wine really sings. Sour cherry, baking spice and cocoa on the nose, full and plush on the palate, perfectly integrated oak. It is somewhat in the vein of an Old World Cabernet Sauvignon with subdued fruit and balanced oak, though it lacks the graphite, flint or minerality you’d expect from Left Bank Bordeaux. I had a glass with rotisserie chicken and it paired well, the wine building on the dark smoky flavors of slightly overdone chicken skin, cutting through the fat and bringing a pleasant herbal note to the meal.
I opened a Bottled Cheer (Pedroncelli Brother’s Mark Cab) for comparison (it was the only young non-Napa Cab I had on hand) and there is no comparison. It is much leaner and greener on the nose (though both have similar dark fruit notes), lighter on the palate and the tannins are greener. This is a phenomenal wine that drinks well now with a heavy decant and will likely improve well-cellared for a couple of years. Many thanks to the Boys in Brown for a well-executed delivery, to WCC for pulling my name out of the hat and to Donati for making an exquisite wine. Salut!
@KitMarlot I like that you opened a 2nd bottle of something you like - same varietal, different wine maker. Hope its a trend more 'ratz pick up. Adds great depth to the evaluation.
Late to the party but hey…that Backwards Wine Guy Who Is Kind Of Snobby…offered this about a month ago and had this to say:
The 2022 Donati Family Vineyard Ezio Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a very pleasing and attractive aroma of black cherry, blackberry, baking spice, cola, licorice, a little cigar box and more. It’s a great start.
Taking a sip shows that wine tastes just as good as it smells. Ripe, juicy and with good balance, the wine features a smooth mouthfeel and similar flavors to the nose. Just be sure to give it some time to breathe to be at its best.
It ends dry, long and lingering and was just as good on day 2.
Donati ‘Ezio’ Cabernet Sauvignon
2022 Donati ‘Ezio’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
not for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 5 - Tuesday, Oct 6
2022 Donati ‘Ezio’ Cabernet Sauvignon
4 bottles for $74.99 $18.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $179.99 $15/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2022 Donati ‘Ezio’ Cabernet Sauvignon - $45 = 19.99%
2022 Donati Ezio Cabernet Sauvignon
I’ve long been intrigued by Donati winery, partially from their family story and partially because there was a Mr. Donati who coached wrestling & football at my middle school. He was one of those small but mighty gentlemen who was as broad as he was tall. Serious business, just like this wine. The bottle is sealed with a synthetic cork that pulled easily and had very little staining. Pop ‘n pour into a large glass, 63F, the wine is a brilliant magenta with no browning. It has a savory herbal nose, hints of chocolate and cherry buried deep in the recesses of the wine. No noticeable oak, light on the palate, soft cherry of the tart variety. It has pithy, earthy fruit, grippy tannin without astringency and a long meandering finish that winds through fruit, spice, raspberry, mace, toasty oak and black tea. What an interesting wine, probably needs a decant.
After a night on the counter this wine really sings. Sour cherry, baking spice and cocoa on the nose, full and plush on the palate, perfectly integrated oak. It is somewhat in the vein of an Old World Cabernet Sauvignon with subdued fruit and balanced oak, though it lacks the graphite, flint or minerality you’d expect from Left Bank Bordeaux. I had a glass with rotisserie chicken and it paired well, the wine building on the dark smoky flavors of slightly overdone chicken skin, cutting through the fat and bringing a pleasant herbal note to the meal.
I opened a Bottled Cheer (Pedroncelli Brother’s Mark Cab) for comparison (it was the only young non-Napa Cab I had on hand) and there is no comparison. It is much leaner and greener on the nose (though both have similar dark fruit notes), lighter on the palate and the tannins are greener. This is a phenomenal wine that drinks well now with a heavy decant and will likely improve well-cellared for a couple of years. Many thanks to the Boys in Brown for a well-executed delivery, to WCC for pulling my name out of the hat and to Donati for making an exquisite wine. Salut!
@KitMarlot I like that you opened a 2nd bottle of something you like - same varietal, different wine maker. Hope its a trend more 'ratz pick up. Adds great depth to the evaluation.
All the wines I have had from this winery have been very good and I already pulled the plug without checking with my peeps
@dianefreda yea, Donati hits way above it’s weight. good value here.
@dianefreda @Winedavid59
WD, any chance of the winery making an appearance?
@dianefreda @rjquillin nudging.
Late to the party but hey…that Backwards Wine Guy Who Is Kind Of Snobby…offered this about a month ago and had this to say:
The 2022 Donati Family Vineyard Ezio Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a very pleasing and attractive aroma of black cherry, blackberry, baking spice, cola, licorice, a little cigar box and more. It’s a great start.
Taking a sip shows that wine tastes just as good as it smells. Ripe, juicy and with good balance, the wine features a smooth mouthfeel and similar flavors to the nose. Just be sure to give it some time to breathe to be at its best.
It ends dry, long and lingering and was just as good on day 2.
Think that’s about it
fwiw
