Que Syrah Shiraz

As I was walking through Happy Harry’s annual penny sale, I noticed that there are a number of new syrah/shiraz/or petite syrahs on their shelves (partially because rabid customers had ransacked almost everything else red on sale). I’d recently drunk a couple of different bottles (including the Greg Norman Petite Syrah) of syrah with friends and the consensus was that we’d forgotten how much we liked this varietal. But what do people really know about this wine?

The majority of the shiraz that we get in the United States hails from Australia at this time. But that is not to say that the French syrah and the US varietals are inferior or superior. Most people will ask what the difference is. The grape, black in color and ranging from peppery to blackberry in flavor, is the same on any continent-it’s the terroir, climate and season that makes the difference in the wine itself.

Some experts say that this grape that thrives in dry, arid climates might originate in Iran while others say that, as most other French grapes have, it has a Roman origin.

Whatever the origin, the syrah/shiraz grape is popular in the market today because of its ability to blend well with other varietals as well as its ability to be drunk on its own. I can say from personal experience, however, that there are a few differences between the Australian and the French.

The Australian varietals that I’ve tried tend to have a bit more spice and be heavier on the fruit, while the French syrah is a bit less tannic and has a more mineral on the palette.

Southern Hemisphere syrahs that I’ve had the pleasure of trying, on the other hand, tend to have a heavier body and a bit earthier flavor. But I might be a bit biased in that regard as I do favor Argentinian and Chilean wines currently.

Recommended syrahs: Tait’s “Ball Buster” blend (shiraz, cabernet, merlot); Hess Collection, Mount Veeder Shiraz; Ridge Vineyards Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Blend (big surprise); Marietta Lot Bottling Old Vine Lot; D’Arengberg “Dead Arm"-a bit spendy, but worth it; Turnbull Old Bull Red (merlot, tempranillo, petit syrah, sangiovese, and syrah blend); and the Carmen Reserve Syrah.

And then we have the Petit Syrah. This grape has been largely misunderstood and mislabeled until the past few years. The grape is actually the Durif , which is a blend of the Peloursin grape with the Syrah grape. The actual vineyards of these grapes often have other vines mixed in with them such as the Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre, the aforementioned Peloursin, or Zinfandel as well. There is usually a peppery flavor associated with this mild grape and it’s been known to cellar for up to 12 years.

Within the past year, Rosenblum has put out a highly rated Petit Syrah and there have been a number of others that I could recommend as well: Bogle; Turley (you’ll probably have to order it directly on-line); Greg Norman and the David Bruce. There are a number of other petit syrah wines out there, but I haven’t gotten to them yet.

As always, be safe and enjoy.