Thoughts on wine

Thoughts on: Syrah vs Shiraz

A bunch of Syrah grapes approaching harvest

Syrah is right up there with Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo as my favourite red grape varieties. There’s something about the savoury, meaty, herbal nature of the wine that really appeals to me, and over the last few years I’ve enjoyed chasing it around the world, experiencing different styles in every region and country. The undisputed home-land of Syrah is the appellations of the Northern Rhone in France, with Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie particularly valued and sought after. Yet, I’ve tried superb Syrah from Australia, South Africa, USA, New Zealand and even Chile. Despite being one of the very oldest grapes (for a long time it was believed that Syrah hailed from Persia, but genetic profiling has revealed it’s indigenous to France, a genetic cross between the relatively obscure Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza), plantings of Syrah on a global scale weren’t really realised until the 1970s. Fast forward to today and it’s the 3rd most planted red variety in France, the 1st in Australia and the 3rd in South Africa; all countries producing a substantial amount of fermented grape juice!

So, what’s so wonderful about Syrah? It’s a dark-skinned grape variety high in tannins, pigmentation and nearly always retains a good amount of acidity, except in the warmest of climates. Typically Syrah has a dark-fruit profile, with lots of plummy, brambly fruits as well as elements of black pepper, earth, violets and a distinctive meaty character with a little age. As long as yields are low, Syrah can handle oak quite handily, although it’s important not to smother its more delicate nuances, so older, larger barrels are more commonly found amongst the most celebrated producers. Handily, Syrah is also a grape that doesn’t suffer too much in the vineyards with good disease resistance (Syrah Decline a notable exception), late budding and a pretty standard ripening period in most regions. It can be planted in a variety of climates and can produce high quality wine almost anywhere, aside from perhaps the very coolest regions in the world. It’s recognised world-wide whether it’s labeled as Syrah or Shiraz and works well in blends, varying the world over. What’s not to love?

It used to be quite easy to differentiate Syrah from the different countries and regions in the world, as the styles were so disparate. Syrah came to Australia in the 1830s with the great James Busby, and has flourished ever since, known as Shiraz and generally grown to full phenolic ripeness. The success of Australian Shiraz, particularly from the 1980’s through to 2000, encouraged plantings elsewhere with several other New World countries getting in on the action. Unsurprisingly, Shiraz tends to appear on bottles more often than Syrah, although it’s worth pointing out that it’s exactly the same variety. In fact, interestingly, it’s almost come to be a stylistic symbol of sorts; if you see an Australian wine labelled Syrah rather than Shiraz, it’s probably lighter, fresher and often more rustic in style than the norm, aiming towards a sort of middle ground between the Rhone and Australia. This has caught on elsewhere, with several South African and Chilean producers also differentiating accordingly.

Wine-making styles now travel around the world, too, with more and more New World producers aiming for lower levels of alcohol, firmer tannins and a fresher fruit profile. Whilst Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz is still normally the voluptuous, mouth-coating, soft and spicy wine it always was, regions such as the Yarra Valley, Grampians, Beechworth, Heathcote, Pyrenees and even spots within warmer zones tend to differ quite a bit stylistically. Gentle extraction is always important with Syrah, but a big difference is whether the producer uses whole-bunch fermentation or not, or what percentage of the stems end up in the wine if so. Whilst New World producers often tended towards American oak, there’s more French oak now then ever before, and the integration is so much more nuanced, rather than the vanilla and chocolate bombs of years past.

Whilst I do tend towards the Rhone Valley for my own personal drinking pleasure, I’ll jump at the chance for a glass of good Syrah or Shiraz, and Australia in particular remains a favourite hunting ground of mine. Interestingly, there are French winemakers such as Chapoutier (who’s wine is referenced below) who’ve seen the potential of Australian Syrah and are making some quite wonderful examples, often finding a lovely middle-ground between full phenolic ripeness and Rhone restraint and complexity. As an example of the two contrasting styles, here are two wines bought locally, one from the Pyrenees in Australia and one from the region I tend towards the most (although I’d buy more Hermitage if I could!), Croze-Hermitage.

A glass of ripe, aromatic Shiraz from Domaine Chapoutier in Australia

Domaine Chapoutier Tournon ‘Shay’s Flat’ Shiraz 2012
100% Shiraz from Chapoutier’s vineyards in the Pyrenees, from two separate vineyards. Destemmed and fermented for 3 weeks, then aged in French oak for 12 months. 14.5% ABV

Still quite solidly coloured although starting to brick nicely at 6.5 years old and in true Australian style, the aromas are practically leaping out of the glass. Ripe, slightly dried plum and blackberries are layered over cedar and vanilla, black pepper, dried mint and a lovely, sappy tobacco note. The chunky tannins are starting to soften, although there’s still some grip, and the same powerful flavours of black fruits, dried herbs and pepper come through nicely on the palate, with some persistence into the finish. Well balanced and feels like its hitting its peak drinking window. A lovely combination of ripe, opulent fruit and restrained wine-making. 92Pts

Purchased from Vinissimus for €27.15

A glass of classic Croze-Hermitage; light, peppery Syrah from Laurent Combier

Laurent Combier Croze-Hermitage ‘Cuvee Laurent’ 2012
100% Syrah from a leased plot in Croze-Hermitage, farmed organically. Fermented in stainless steel and then aged partly in a cement egg and partly in old French oak for 6 months. 12.5% ABV

Edging towards garnet in colour, this looks like a wine that’s coming into maturity nicely and the nose certainly confirms it! Dried plums and damsons tread the line between red and black fruits, with subtle toast and black pepper mingling with smoked meat, soft leather, oregano and wet stone aromas. Very fresh and tangy despite its 6 years of age, with firm tannins and a very savoury quality to the palate. Really nice complexity here for an entry-level Croze-Hermitage, if lacking a touch of weight and depth, and this is unmistakably Northern Rhone in style. I suspect this could go on for another 2-3 years before reaching its peak, but a lovely bottle of wine to enjoy now. 91Pts

Purchased from Cuvee 3000 for €16.50

For some seriously good, cooler climate Australian Syrah, check out my write-up of Castagna Genesis Syrah 2006

Or, to check out just how good Chapoutier’s wines can be in the Rhone, check out my write-up of Chapoutier’s Le Pavillon Ermitage 1991

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