Syrah: The Gentleman

We call Syrah the “Gentleman” because it has natural elegance and strength, without being pushy.

The traditional home of Syrah is the northern Rhône region of France where the most prominent appellations are Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.

• Syrah is a small, dark skinned berry
  • small bunches
  • high acidity and tannins (less than Cabernet)
• Ripens best in dry climates and soils that allow for deep root penetration
• Lost ground and foreign attention in the first half of the twentieth century
• Strong resurgence since 1970

Syrah Around the World

Moderate climates (northern Rhône Valley, Central Coast California)

• medium to full-bodied wines
• medium-plus to high levels of tannins
• flavors of blackberry, mint and black pepper

Warm Climates (The Shiraz of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale of South Australia)

• full-bodied with softer tannins
• jammier fruit and spice notes of licorice, anise and earthy leather.

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Shiraz is Australia’s flagship grape. It is often blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to create distinctive GSM wines.