BLOG: Que Syrah, Sirah? Or Shiraz?
Wine writers have for the past decade extolled Syrah as the “new” popular red varietal. While Syrah is anything but “new” it is refreshing to see wine lovers venturing into new realms of wine pleasure. Syrah, a full flavored grape is renowned for producing strong, long aging, sturdy wines of deep purple color. To most wine lovers Syrah means France’s Rhône Valley. To understand Syrah we must begin a world-wide travel beginning in France’s 125 mile long Rhône Valley from Avignon in the south to Vienne) in the north with a few side trips to areas producing great white wines.
Wine has been produced in the Rhône for over 2,500 years.
In the sixth century B.C. Phocaean sailors, Greeks from Asia Minor, established a settlement at the mouth of the Rhône at Massalia, now known as Marseille. Trade immediately began and included earthenware vessels of wine made from vines planted along the banks of the Rhône. It is unknown if the Phocaeans or the native Celts planted and cultivated the first vines. The hearty sailors polled their flat boats loaded with wine and other goods up the Rhône to what are now the cities of Arles, Orange and Avignon.
The Rhône wines gained popularity when the papal court moved to Avignon. Pope Clément became Pope in 1309, during a time when relations between the King of France and the Roman Papacy were severely strained. As a native Frenchman from Bordeaux he decided it would be better to remain in France and moved the Papacy to Avignon where it remained until 1378. This period was known as the Great Schism.
In the early 14th century Pope Clément V would regularly travel from Avignon by mule to the small village of Châteauneuf to inspect his vineyard. Clement was already an accomplished wine grower, having planted his own vineyard in the Graves region of Bordeaux known as Château Pape-Clement.
But while he did have a few vines near Avignon it was his successor, Pope John XXII who was responsible for the development of Châteauneuf du Pape as a world renowned wine-producing region. It was also John XXII that built the papal summer residence (to escape the heat and bustle of Avignon) in the small village of Châteuneuf. Pope John used the 10 hectares that came with the Chateau but found he needed much more wine for his papal feasting in Avignon As a result, to maintain his wine life-style, he contracted for an annual delivery of 1,550 liters from the village of Bédarrides, which is part of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation today.
In the southern Rhône, syrah is used to contribute flavor and structure to the multi-variety wines from the Châteauneuf-du-pape and Côtes-du-Rhône. But it is in the northern Rhône that has made Syrah famous.
Thought to have originated in the Middle East, the ancient Syrah grape has been grown in the Rhône valley at least since Roman times. In the northern Rhône Syrah is the principal grape of the esteemed wines from Cornas, Côte-Rôtie , Crozes-Hermitage , Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. When young these wines are deep colored and tannic, with strong tar, spice and pepper qualities. Syrah wines are long-lived, and as they slowly mature, they take on the characteristics of sweet blackberries, black currants and plums with hints of smokiness.
The first Syrah wine area in our travels to visit is Cornas, where some of the most tannic and powerful wines in the world are produced. The wines are Syrah grown in heat retentive soil. The word Cornas is derived from the Celtic word for “scorched earth” and the wines produced from these grapes have been called rustic, brutal, with savage tannins - certainly not a wine for the timid. As these wines age they remain robust but begin to show cassis, chestnut, truffle, licorice and black currant notes. They are the most powerful of all Syrah and if all Syrah was like Cornas it is doubtful if Syrah would have gained the world-wide fame it enjoys today.
As we procede north we reach some of France’s greatest wines - The great wines of the Hermitage appellation, which is located in the northern portion of the Rhône region south of Lyon. Hermitage, produces both red and white wines. The vineyards are thought to have been cultivated as far back as the Roman occupation of the area.
The name Hermitage is attributed to a knight, Gaspard de Sterimberg, who, after fighting in the religious wars in the early 1200s retired to this hill as a hermit to tend his vines and meditate. Accolades for Hermitage wines go back centuries, at least to the 1600s, when Louis XIV reigned. The vineyards are planted on the very steep, sun-drenched hillside above the town of Twain-l’Hermitage across the Rhône river from Tournon.
Syrah is the red grape of the Hermitage. The white varieties Marsanne and Roussanne are used both in the white wines and in the blend for the robust red wines. Hermitage red wines are deep colored, full flavored, full-bodied and intense but can be brash and tannic when young. Those from the best vintages can take up to 15 years to soften and can age for 30 to 40 years or more.
Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards is one of the great Hermitage wines praised by reviewers. Although reported by reviewers as being unavailable in the United States and worth a trip to Europe to seek one out, Elizabeth’s has had a vertical of these incredible wines and has featured them at New Year’s Eve dinners.
The powerful white wines from Hermitage are capable of lengthy aging as well, some as long as the red wines. The Marsanne white wine grape that is widely grown in France’s northern Rhône region is the principal grape in the white wines of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint Joseph.
The largest appellation in France’s northern Rhône region is Crozes-Hermitage. The vineyards of the eleven villages that make up Crozes-Hermitage surround the more famous Hermitage vineyards. Crozes-Hermitage produces red wines from syrah and white wines from marsanne and roussanne. The wines from the area vary considerably in quality because some of the vineyards are located in the superior hilly areas, while others are situated on the less-desirable flatlands. The better Crozes-Hermitage wines bear a resemblance to those of the Hermitage AC, but usually without the concentrated flavors and richness. The wines are rich, full bodied and have nice floral, spicy and ripe fruit notes.
St. Joseph is a large area, about 40 miles, along the Rhône River producing wines which receive mixed reviews. Wines produced from vines with southern exposure are excellent, medium bodied with cherry/berry flavors. The better wines can usually be identified by price.
South of Lyon and about five miles south of Vienne is the village of Ampuis home of the rare and renowned wine Côte-Rôtie – . Its name means roasted slope and it consists of slightly more than 150 acres of steep hillside sun-baked vineyards. The vineyards are built on terraces so narrow and steep that tending and harvesting must be done manually. Some of the terraces are only wide enogh for three or four rows of vines. Vineyard workers annually carry tons of soil up to the various terraces to replace soil washed away by rains.
There are two sections that produce the best wines – one with lighter-colored soil, limestone, chalk and sand, called Côte Blonde and one with darker iron rich clay soil called Côte Brune. Legend has it that Maugiron, a nobleman in the area, gave one of the two sections to his blond daughter and the other section to his brunette daughter and that over time the two sections took on the traits of their respective owners. Côte Rôtie produces only red wines made from Syrah with up to 20 percent of the white grape Viognier in the blend. The wines are noted for their exotic fragrance, deep color, rich, spicy flavor, and full body. Most of the better Côte-Rôtie wines will easily age for ten or more years – many for fifty years.
As we proceed further north we arrive at Condrieu a 25 acre Rhône appellation located near the village of Condrieu, located south of Côte Rôtie in France’s northern Rhône region. The grape variety in Condrieu is Viognier, a dry rich white wine with perceptible spiciness and aromas and flavors reminiscent of apricots, peaches and pears. This wine is quite expensive due to quality and rarity.
Our next travel following the Syrah grape takes us to Australia. Amazingly Australia has no native grapevines and hybrids and vinifera crossings have never been planted. Consequently, Australia’s wine industry is virtually 100 percent European vinifera-based from cuttings brought over the years by immigrants. Shiraz, as Syrah is called in Australia, made its way there in 1830’s and is now that country’s most widely planted grape. The most famous Shiraz is the incredibly fruit-rich, full bodied and complex Grange Hermitage, produced by Penfolds, a wine that can age for 30 to 40 years.
In California the Petit Sirah grape was long thought to be Syrah but some enologists now believe it actually may be the Durif variety. True Syrah, sometimes called Sirah, has been planted in California over the years and there are now many wines made from these plantings. A group of California wine makers, knick-named the Rhône Rangers, have successfully grown Rhône varietals in the warm California climate. Among California producers who make excellent Rhône style wines are: Bonny Doon, Cline, Concannon, Geyser Peak, Guenoc, Marietta, McDowell, Joseph Phelps, R.H. Phillips, Qupé, Ridge, Swanson and Zaca Mesa.
As an aside, Hermitage is a name used by South Africans for the grape variety Cinsault. It is not Syrah.
In summary, our travels following the Syrah grape have taken us from the Rhône Valley, to Australia to California. The enjoyment however, is in the wines themselves. Do yourself a favor and try a Syrah from France’s Rhône Valley to understand the underlying reason why Syrah wines are so spectacular, and then begin your own personal travel.
© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.