Syrah/Shiraz
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| SYRAH / SHIRAZ |
This
grape variety is a must if you want to experience the richer, darker
side of red wine. Not all Syrahs/Shirazes (or blends that incorporate
it) will be satisfyingly full-on, so watch out for some weedy, jammy
cheapies, but in the main, this is one of the grapes to go for if you
want a heavyweight.
It
doesn't often deliver fresh, fruity flavours, however. Syrah/Shiraz
can be lots of things, but it isn't in the 'fruit salad' school of
wine.
It's
hard to swirl a glass of the stuff and find raspberries,
strawberries, plums and cassis, as you will with many red grapes.
Instead, potent, wilder aromas assail the nostrils - of spice, black
pepper, toffee, cream, herbs, smoke, citrus peel, leather - and the
taste is similar.
Sure,
there's a rich blackberry/ blackcurrant element in certain,
especially non-European Shirazes, but those unusual characteristics
are what stand out, and what make this grape so misunderstood and
often underrated.
 |
| SYRAH / SHIRAZ |
It
was often used as a 'workhorse', churning out cheap and rough reds,
especially in Australia, until the modern era kicked in and
winemakers started making first- rate, premium reds from it. Those
who liked powerful, robust wines loved Shiraz, and so a modern
classic was born.
Of
course, as Syrah, this grape was always much appreciated. The Rhone
Valley is renowned for its gutsy, concentrated, sun-baked reds, and
Syrah has always played a major part in these. This variety's
popularity is set to grow as more winemakers around the world take it
on and come up with startlingly good results.
Still,
for now it remains less well-known than Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot
Noir. So, if you haven't discovered Shiraz/Syrah yet, make a point of
doing so now. Note it is made in the warmer parts of the winemaking
globe, where the hot sun coaxes the grapes into full ripeness.
FRANCE
The huge, smouldering reds of the northern Rhone Valley are made
almost entirely from Syrah. This is a sunny area that starts at
Vienne, with the
appellation of Cote-Rotie ('roasted slope'), and runs southwards to
St-Peray, near the town of Valence.
The
wines are dense, intense, super- concentrated with a twist of black
pepper and a rich, rounded texture. Some have a sprinkling of white
Viognier grapes in the blend, which gives the liquid a fragant lift.
SYRAH / SHIRAZ
Cote-Rotie's
winemakers are arguably the greatest in the south, making brooding
monsters packed with black fruit and spice, but don't pass up the
chance for a decent bottle from the appellations of Crozes-Hermitage,
Hermitage, St-Joseph and Comas, either.
Names
such as Chapoutier, Chave, Graillot, Delas, Guigal, Paul Jaboulet and
Noel Verset are all worth exploring. The best wines are thoroughly
age-worthy, their heavy structure softening and loosening up over
time.
The
southern section of the Rhone begins below Montelimar and is a hot,
arid place where rich, headily alcoholic reds are the norm. The most
famous wine of the region is the purple-hued, heavyweight
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, made from a heady mix of up to thirteen
different grape varieties, mainly Grenache but also Syrah and
Mourvedre.
Vineyards
contain big flat stones which retain the heat of the sun well into
the evening. Other southern Rhone reds produced from a similar blend
include Gigondas, Lirac and Vacqueyras.
Again,
the top wines should mature well for years. Further down the prestige
ladder come sixteen named Cotes du Rhone-Villages (including
Cairanne, Rasteau and Beaumes-de-Venise), then generic Cotes du
Rhone-Villages, which are often good value for money, and below that
the cheapish Cotes du Rhone reds, which can occasionally please
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