Que Sera, Sera
This is a talk I gave at the Toronto Vintners Club on March 19, 2024.
Usually these tastings are dedicated to a single region often over many vintages, but tonight we will taste Syrah in many different guises from notable regions around the world.
One wine from 2011, two from 2012, one from 2014, four from 2015 and one from 2017.
3 from the old world and 6 from the new world. Among them, only one Shiraz. Will your tastebuds be able to recognize which one? This will be an exciting tasting to be sure with loads of variations from the same grape.
Like us humans, where there is struggle, there is character. And when Syrah is planted in cooler climates and struggles to ripen, the wines are full of more character then when they grow while basking in the warmth. As is evident where Syrah reaches its apogee, in the northern Rhone in villages like Cote Rotie, Cornas and Hermitage. And despite the heat of Barossa Valley, the age of the vines, along with particular sites, provide the depth and character to the resulting wines.
Syrah’s origin story
All grapes have a home and native land and Syrah is no exception. There are many speculations as to where Syrah is from originally, but to me one hypothesis stands out. It is that Syrah, also known as Shiraz, for reasons I’ll get into later, is from Shiraz in ancient Persia, ie modern day Iran. It has been thought that Syrah was introduced from Persia to Marseille by the Phocaeans around 600 BC, or from Persia to the Rhone Valley by the Crusaders between 1095 and 1291. However, the Shiraz hypothesis is doubtful, at least, because the crusaders were mainly focussed on the holy land, and did not venture out as far as Persia. Since Shiraz is the Australian name for Syrah, some authors even argue that the Australians had maintained the original name while the French had “Frenchified” it.
However, it is hard to argue with science, and genetic testing done in 1998 by UC Davis and the National institute in Montpellier confirmed that Syrah is from the Rhone-Alpes region in France, and more specifically, from Isère. Isère is a French Department just south-east of Lyon. Its capital is Grenoble.
It was discovered that Syrah is a natural crossing between Mondeuse blanche and Dureza. Mondeuse Blanche is a variety from Savoie, and Dureza is from Ardeche. This natural crossing must have taken place where both were cultivated making it very likely that this took place in Isère.
Later it was discovered that there are genetic ties to Italian’s Teroldego and Pinot Noir. Teroldego is a full sibling of Dureza and a grandchild of Pinot Noir. Therefore Teroldego is an and aunt or uncle of Syrah.
So why is it called Shriaz in Australia?
In 1832 a Scottish man by the name of James Busby, whom many consider to be the godfather of Australian wine, brought with him cuttings of vines called Scyras to Australia. Today, some of the oldest Syrah or Shiraz vines in the world can be found in Barossa Valley Australia.
The name "Shiraz" has been used primarily in Australia in modern times. The name "Scyras" was used to describe the grape in the earliest Australian documents, and "Shiraz" has been speculated to have come about through the "strinization" of the original word, a process of changing vowels as is characteristic of Australian slang. However, while the names "Shiraz" and "Hermitage" gradually replaced "scyras" in Australia from the mid-19th century, the spelling "Shiraz" has also been documented in British sources back to at least the 1830s. That there was documentation of Shiraz being used in Britain, it only makes sense for a Scottish man like James Busby to bring the word along with it to Australia
So while the name or spelling "Shiraz" may be an effect of the English language on a French name, there is no evidence that it actually originated in Australia, although it was definitely the Australian usage and the Australian wines that made the name popular.
Today, using "Shiraz" as opposed to "Syrah" on wine labels is common among New World winemakers who fashion their wines in the Australian spirit of rich, lush, fruit-forward wines. Tonight there is only wine wine cabled Shriaz, will you be able to tell which one?
More specifics about the grape
It is an important grape in many notable wine regions around the world, including here in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and has shown great promise in Italy and Spain. Not to mention France of course.
Like all grapes, Syrah expresses itself different in each vineyard so its hard to say exactly what Syrah tastes like from a specific country. For example when you think of Syrah from Australia the big full bodied, ripe and rich wines from Barossa may come to mind. But in places like Yarra or Adelaide Hills or even Clare Valley where Syrah is grown in relatively cooler regions and struggle on the margins of viticulture the wines produced are very different in style than what we may think of when we talk about Australian Shiraz.
But generally, when young, Syrah produces wines that tend to showcase fruit on the darker end of the spectrum, with brambly berries, mixed mountain berries, and plums as common tasting notes. Often smoked meat and liquorice can be detected. Natural high acid and firm tannins help Syrah age.
In cooler locations and vintages, red fruit can also be found. Savoury notes of cracked peppercorns, leather, and bacon are also common, as are hints of flowers like violets. The winemaker can influenced this with choice of French of American oak as well as the inclusion of stems which can provide fragrance and perfume, and adds a bit of strength and firmness to the tannins.
As they age, the naturally high tannins soften and the fruit concentration integrate with the oak and become more baking spice and leathery and herbaceous. The meatiness of the wines often become a little more pronounced and if drunk at the right time, the acid balances it all.
Wine truly is a moment in time. Or maybe even an evolution in time. It is a moment of the vintage and the people who helped transform the grapes into a wine. And once there it does evolve and changes like we evolve and change; sometimes in unexpected ways. We are all here tonight to share in the evolution of not only the wines, but ourselves.
So lets taste these and see how they are progressing today and thanks for sharing.
Line up of wines in order
2015 BURROWING OWL OKANAGAN BC Canada $44.95
2015 Creekside Unbroken Press Syrah Ontario Canada $50.00
2012 TENIMENTI D’ALLESANDRO . IL BOSCO CORTONA SYRAH Tuscany Italy $61.95
2011 CAMBRIDGE ROAD MARTINBOROUGH Martinborough New Zealand $64.00
2014 PORSELEINBERG Swartland SouthAfrica $100
2012 Chateau Haut-Blanville 1955 Gres de Montpellier Rhone France $56.65
2015 Errazuriz La Cumbre Syrah Aconcagua Chile $90.00
2015 Castell D’ Encus Thalarn Syrah Catalunya Spain $68.00
2017 Henschke Mount Edelstone Vineyard, Eden Valley, Australia $225