| Sweet, seductive syrah
If you drink wine, and pay attention to what you're drinking, then you've no doubt heard of syrah. Whether under its Australian pseudonym shiraz or the French pronunciation syrah, this is a grape on the move.
The United States, France and Australia are the major producers of syrah and this ancient varietal is currently enjoying a renaissance in all three countries. Describing syrah is not easy as it tends to emulate its surroundings more than most red grapes. The French versions are somewhat restrained when young, but take on seductive complexities with age. The American examples are more approachable in youth and unmistakably delicious. The Aussies have their own take – their wines are massive and loud with ultra ripe fruit that gives your palate a beating it won't soon forget.
Syrah is nothing new – it probably originated in the Middle East or more specifically in Iran, around the town of Shiraz. The grape was brought to France by the Phocaeans and planted throughout the Rhône Valley, which is often referred to as the home of syrah. Today, plantings of syrah are at an all-time high and growers can't wait to get more vines in the ground.
The history of Rhône-style wines in California is short. The first examples of varietally labeled syrah did not appear until the 1980s, and yet in this short period of time, syrah has become the darling of many California wine drinkers. Washington has also jumped on the bandwagon and several producers are turning out high quality wines in the Columbia Valley.
Syrah is not an easy grape to cultivate into fine wine. The vine has a tendency to over-crop, producing diluted and uninteresting juice, and the wines can easily oxidize or lose precious acidity. This combined with the fact that most producers are working with syrah for the first time on relatively young vines means there are bound to be some wines of limited quality. However, the producers who have been working with syrah for decades are producing their best wines ever. On the south coast, producers like Qupe, Alban and Daniel Gehrs are making wonderful wines well worth seeking out. In Napa, many wineries are releasing syrah for the first time, but I suggest sticking with the old guard such as Joseph Phelps or Jade Mountain.
The resurgence of shiraz in Australia has been profound. James Busby first brought Shiraz to Australia in 1832 and the plantings were extensive. In fact, the grape was so prolific that it was thought of more as a weed and many great old plantings were grubbed up. Today the grape holds much higher esteem, and the sites of 100-year-old vines are cherished for their concentration and character. The overall quality of Australian shiraz is quite high, but there are still many unexciting examples. For the best results stick to small, quality-minded producers such as Best's in Victoria, Cape Mentelle in Margaret River, or St. Hallet in Barossa.
Although syrah represents less than two per cent of the plantings in France, it is responsible for some of the most noble and famous wines, such as Hermitage and Côte Rotie. Because these wines are expensive and produced in tiny amounts, it has been difficult in the past to taste good syrah from France. This is no longer the case. Today syrah is being planted throughout the Rhône Valley and even further south in the Languedoc. The plantings in the Rhône have boosted the quality of many basic Cotes du Rhônes, and fabulous examples of this wine are now plentiful. In the Languedoc there has been a trend to produce top quality Vin du Pays Syrah, using varietal labels. Syrah is also used here to boost the quality of AOC wines, such as Coteaux du Languedoc or Costieres de Nimes. Many great and inexpensive wines come from these areas – a few of the best are St Cosme Côtes du Rhone, Lesec Syrah and Chateau Maris Minervois.
Syrah has now spread its wings and can be found in Spain, Italy, Argentina and even the Okanagan Valley in B.C. A great way to get to know syrah is to gather some bottles from various regions and taste them side by side, taking note of the differences – you'll find that no matter where syrah puts down its roots, interesting and wonderful wines are bound to appear. |
