Syrah

Published on: September 29, 2002

by Dennis Manuel

Syrah is a noble grape that has been around since Roman times.

Although Syrah is a ubiquitous grape, it is best expressed in three locations, France, western U.S., and Australia. In France it is the grape used for France's Hermitage and Côtie Rôtie, in the Western United States it is known simply as Syrah, and in Australia (and South Africa) it is known as Shiraz.

In the western United States, i.e. California, Oregon, and Washington states, there is a confusion between Syrah and Petite Syrah. The reasons are twofold. One, Petite Syrah is called Petite Syrah only in the U.S., In the rest of the world the Petite Syrah grape is known as the Durif grape, and Petite Syrah, aka Durif, has absolutely no relation to Syrah, which is a different grape entirely. How the Durif grape got the name Petite Syrah in the western U.S. no one knows. The Durif grape was named after a nurseryman in the 1880s by the name of Dr. Durif .

There is also a huge difference in production and popularity in the western U.S.

Petite Syrah
Tons crushed in 1991 = 8,753
Tons crushed in 2001 = 14,908

Syrah
Tons crushed in 1991 = 866
Tons crushed in 2001 = 89,082

As you can see, Syrah's popularity has grown tremendously compared to Petite Syrah (Durif). And for good reason. It's a better grape, and the world is catching on quickly.

In France, Syrah plantings were at 6,670 acres in 1968, and by 1988 it rose to 133,400 acres. An increase of twenty-fold. In Australia Syrah is about 40% of its grape crop.

What is so wonderful about this grape, which is becoming more and more prevalent, is that it has different expressions from different corners of the world, and all of them are big, luscious, gorgeous wines. Australia's Shiraz tend to be heavier and sometimes sweeter than the Syrahs of France and the U.S. Because Australian Syrah is such a huge, lush wine it is often blended with other red varietals to add weight.

In France, Châteauneuf-du-Pape can have as many as thirteen varieties of grapes used, but the best producers use a predominance of Grenache and Syrah. And the Syrah grape is what gives it its long life and rounded lushness.

When looking for a good Syrah a rule of thumb could be (and there are always exceptions) is that Australian Shiraz is most often the heaviest, and sometimes slightly sweet, while France and the U.S. are a bit lighter..Syrah, though, is never a "light" wine. It is light only relative to where it grown in other parts of the world. And, it expresses the different terroirs where it is grown most beautifully.

From Australia Elderton, Clarendon Hills, and Hewitson make some stunningly good Shirazs, and will range in price from the low 20s to over 50 dollars. Leasingham and Greg Norman are also excellent producers that make superb Shirazs for under $20. There are too many excellent producers of Shiraz to list here, but the WINE SPECTATOR has a good report on Aussie Shiraz in their September 30, 2002 edition.

From France, Paul Jaboulet Ainé makes a great Crozes-Hermitage 1999, which got a 90 rating in the WINE SPECTATOR and sells for $14. Certainly a must have if you can find it. If you can't, ask your wine salesperson to recommend a similar one. From the western U.S. there are a number of fine producers of Syrah and Shiraz. Beringer and Canyon Road are calling it Shiraz, others such as Fetzer and Kendall-Jackson are calling it Syrah. Why? Probably marketing. But it's the same grape, and all the above are excellent values. Turnbull is another fine winery offering a Syrah.

The main thing to keep in mind, is that the grape is becoming more and more popular because it gives us what we want, from the low end to the high end. You can get a wonderful inexpensive table wine made from the Syrah grape from Australia's Rosemount (Shiraz) or California's Fetzer. Or, you can go to the very high end from Australia or France, and a few from the western U.S.

Explore the grape by buying three bottles, similarly priced, one each from Australia, France and California. That will give you an opportunity to taste the differences, and decide which you like. Once you know the difference, you can switch according to menu or mood.

You can't loose. Syrah/Shiraz is a win, win grape.

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