Walls: Why Syrah is the most adaptable grape in the world

Some grapes are homebodies. They don’t like to travel, preferring to stay close to their place of birth. Others are happy to explore far-flung lands, even to settle and establish new colonies.

Syrah, however, is a peerlessly adept traveller, a free-spirited polyglot happy to set down roots in countless wine regions around the world. It is the most adaptable of all great red grapes – a vital quality in a changing world.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ tasting notes and scores of six Syrahs from around the world

Expanding horizons

Grape varieties tend to reach their heights of expression in their home region, heights that are rarely surpassed elsewhere. This is certainly true with Syrah. The very best are still to be found in the Northern Rhône.

But, truly outstanding examples are now made in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Chile… even Germany. And in multiple regions within all of these countries.

In 1990, Syrah was the 36th most planted grape in the world. By 2016, it had shot up the rankings to sixth. The only red grapes that have more area under vine globally are Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Unrivalled success

And what of these other red grapes? Tempranillo covers more land than Syrah, but it doesn’t travel well – significant plantings are only found in Spain and Portugal.

The same can be said of Italian grapes; outside Italy we might be able to name one or two interesting wines made from Nebbiolo, Sangiovese or Nero d’Avola, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are more adaptable than Tempranillo, but these tend to work better as a team than alone. Both are planted in more countries than Syrah, but their reach has contracted since 2010, whereas Syrah’s reach is expanding.

I’d also suggest that Syrah has more success across a greater range of climates than these two varieties. And, for that matter, the notoriously capricious Pinot Noir.

Ability to reflect terroir

The fact that Syrah can do so well in both hot and cooler climates is evidenced by its dual title – Syrah and Shiraz. That there’s no single name for this grape variety can make it awkward and clumsy to talk about, however, it is also useful because it helps us differentiate between its multiple guises.

Few grapes rival Syrah’s ability to reflect terroir, particularly when grown in more temperate climates. Just as the climats of Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy assert themselves through Pinot Noir year on year, so do the lieux-dits of Côte-Rôtie through the lens of Syrah.

Hotter climates add a little heat-haze to the final style, but when expressed as Shiraz it can still display a strong sense of place.

The difference between a Syrah and a Shiraz is not simply a question of climate, though. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is nearly 200km south of Côte-Rôtie, and correspondingly hotter and sunnier; it’s a different animal here, but it’s still unmistakably Syrah, not Shiraz.

The pressing issue: climate change

As our global climate heats up, the adaptability of any given grape variety is taking on greater salience. Can it produce balanced wines that express terroir as the mercury rises? Is it happy on different terrains if plantings need to move to cooler latitudes or higher ground?

Syrah is now on the march in France, migrating north from Côte-Rôtie. There are plantings in Beaujolais, and Mark Haisma has even planted some in the Mâconnais. If Pinot can’t take the heat, it will have to exit la cuisine. Will the climats of Gevrey eventually have to be expressed by Syrah instead? I can think of few better options.

See tasting notes and scores of six Syrahs from around the world worth seeking out

You might also be interested in…

California Syrah: Matthew Luczy’s report

Barossa Shiraz: St Hallett Wines producer profile

South African Syrah: 30 great buys

South American Syrah: panel tasting

Rhône Syrah: Delas’ Hermitage Ligne de Crète