Syrah

Back in the day we learned to appraise wines by recognizing the few grape types that were deemed to be noble by the experts and then, by default, seeing all of the others as ordinary types.  (Some were actually ignoble.  Ask me about Alicante Bouschet some time.)  That scheme has since fallen from favor once one acknowledges that most grapes are capable of producing superior wine in the right environs with the right winemaking hands.  But still, we maintain that some vinifera wine grapes are downright noble.   

Cabernet Sauvignon is a no-brainer.  It produces superior wine most everywhere.  Pinot Noir is also a for-sure winner even if it is only a select few acres that make the case, relatively speaking.  Syrah, on the other hand, has always been on the fence.  Some maintain its nobility while others just don't get it.  Its quality capabilities are more like Cabernet, forthright and deliberate, the inverse of the insipid Pinot Noir now populating chain store shelves everywhere.  You might say there is so much good Syrah out there we take it for granted.  It's just doesn't have the popularity of Cabernet.  

For as long as we've been in the business, the Cotes du Rhone as been the go-to region for any serious wine lover to find their affordable red meat dinner wine.  The southern Rhone is where Grenache dominates with a blending assist from Syrah and others.  The northern Rhone however, is where the Syrah grape shines.  These are the finest Syrah-based wines in the world.  They are refined, concentrated and elegant; structured and capable of improving for a minimum of ten years. Potency and finesse is the calling card.  But our all time favorite descriptor has to be violets and tar.   

In the nineteenth century the grape was exported to Australia.  Re-named Shiraz, the grape quickly became the signature grape of the continent.  In fact, like Cabernet, Syrah seems to do well in most places.  If it has soils of granite, schist or shale, that is, rocky, you get that intense northern Rhone black pepper and olive style.  If the soil is softer, sandy or clayey, you get a lighter aromatic, softer structured plum and chocolate wine.  In any event, it's all good.

History is fickle in this industry.  In the 1700s Syrah was esteemed in Europe and put on a par with Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux.  That estimation will probably come around again.  Syrah is a prolific vigorous vine, easy to cultivate and in need of regular pruning.  Those kinds usually get promoted by the industry, so we shall see.

By the way, we taste a lot of wines here.  The best we tasted last year was a Cornas from the northern Rhone.