Decanter Cellar: 16 must-try Syrah

There are many tall tales around the origins of Syrah – also known as Shiraz.

One claimed that it was Rome’s legions that brought the grape to southern France. The soldiers had been in Sicily before and brought with them vines from the city of Syracuse.

But then Pliny the Elder claimed that it was a variety called Vitis syriaca that came from Syria.

Later still a legend emerged that its origins lay further to the east, around the ancient Persian city of Shiraz.

But the truth is that Syrah is a Rhône grape through and through. In 1998, DNA testing showed its parents were Mondeuse Blanche and a (now little-used) black variety called Dureza.

It’s a telling irony that while Syrah’s origin stories talk of it coming from overseas when it’s actually a Rhône Valley native, its modern story has been all about finding new homes around the world.

Let’s take a look at where Syrah has ended up, as well as delicious examples tasted recently by both the Decanter team and our expert contributors.

Scroll down for 16 must-try Syrah/Shiraz

Rhône Valley and southern France

Syrah’s home is along the banks of the long, drifting Rhône that wends its way from the Alps to the Mediterranean.

The northern half of the valley in particular is pure Syrah territory (occasionally mixed with a smidgen of Viognier).

It’s here, in the vineyards of Côte-Rôtie, Cornas and Hermitage that Syrah achieves what many see as its smoky, spicy, peppery majesty.

In the southern half of the valley Syrah tends to play a supporting role to Grenache and other varieties, and this also true of the numerous wines produced across the appellations of the Languedoc.

If you want the Syrah experience without a price tag as steep as some of the best vineyard sites, however, then look to St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage for some increasingly delicious examples.

Australia

After the Rhône, say Syrah to a wine fan and they’ll probably mention Australia.

While on his travels finding cuttings to send back to Australia, James Busby remarked on this tale in his notes. Syrah was first known in Australia as ‘Hermitage’ or the older toponym ‘Scyras’.

But after EU protections were put in place a change of name was needed and ‘Scyras’ got a new ‘Strine’ inflection which, coupled with the old Shiraz legend, might be how the name has stuck the way it has Down Under.

Either way, the reference for Australian Shiraz is Barossa Valley, which the likes of Henschke, Torbreck and Yalumba call home.

Aussie Shiraz has a reputation for being bigger in every sense than its French cousins and while that holds true to a point, as with most varieties the current trend is for freshness and greater nuance.

And Shiraz is grown right across the country’s wine regions, with McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills among those with both the cool sites and old vines that make for a truly winning combination.

It’s also frequently blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as appearing in the classic southern European-inspired ‘GSM’ blends (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre).

Click here to see notes and scores for nearly 5,000 Syrah tasted by Decanter

Syrah around the world

There are few places where Syrah dominates in quite the way it does in the Rhône and Australia but its presence is felt globally – especially anywhere with a warm, Mediterranean-style climate.

Looking elsewhere in Europe, one surprising source of Syrah is Switzerland. This landlocked country is where the source of the Rhône rises and there’s a pocket of the Valais where it thrives in the sheltered mountain valleys.

It crops up in southern Portugal and Italy though usually as a blending partner. Across the Mediterranean in Israel and Lebanon there’s some strong Syrah and Syrah-led blends emerging with plenty of potential.

A land where Syrah is rising fast is South Africa. Since the end of Apartheid, its been one of the country’s fastest-growing red varieties.

It’s the backbone of the incredibly popular The Chocolate Block label and the pure-Syrah Porseleinberg, as well as the Mullineux-made trio of Schist, Granite and Iron which shows off some serious terroir flex.

Not to be out-done by their neighbours, New Zealand has a good line in tightly-grained, very elegant Syrah. Look out for wines from the north of the islands, especially Hawke’s Bay.

In the US, Syrah has never had the clout of Cabernet or Pinot but it has a strong, almost cultish following among its fans.

In California, it crops up frequently in Sine Qua Non’s eclectic range of wines and it has pockets of vines throughout the state.

It’s true US foothold though is Washington State, especially the Walla Walla AVA. Up in Canada, the southern half of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia also allows for Syrah to thrive.

And finally, in the southern half of the Americas it is Chile that flies Syrah’s banner highest in both its coastal and mountain sites.

16 must-try Syrah

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