Information about Black Varietal

Sumoll

Syrah

Tannat

Syrah overview
Syrah is the sole grape used for the red wines of the Northern Rhône, where the climate is warm, but not too warm for it. Some is also grown in the Southern Rhône, and it is becoming popular in the Languedoc, and in both regions it is commonly blended with other grapes. Under the name of Shiraz, it is one of the most popular black varietals planted in Australia, where it is most often used to produce a single-varietal wine, although there are also some blends. Syrah shares with Cabernet Sauvignon the ability to make long-lived wines.

Climate for Syrah
It tends to be planted in the warmer spots in the Northern Rhône, but in the cooler spots in the Southern Rhône (to avoid over-ripeness). Both Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley, where it dominates red wine production, are warmer than the Northern Rhône. The very hot climate of Hunter Valley used to give wines with strong sweaty and leathery aromas, but these are not now seen often. There are now plantings in California, notably where it is a component for Rhône Ranger wines made in warmer areas.

Regions for Syrah
The two largest areas of planting are Australia and Languedoc. In terms of local importance, Shiraz is 40% of all black plantings in Australia. It is also an appreciable proportion of plantings in Languedoc, currently ~10%. It is the sole red grape in the Northern Rhône (although this is only 5% of the area of the Rhône as a whole). There are significant plantings in Argentina, but quality has been limited by over-cropping.

Styles of Syrah
Syrah is vinified as a single varietal wine in most of the Northern Rhône. In Côte Rôtie a little Viognier (<5%) can be blended in; in Hermitage, Marsanne or Roussanne can be included, but these days rarely is. In Australia it is often vinified as a varietal, but sometimes as a Shiraz-Cabernet blend one of the most famous of which is Grange Hermitage). It is one of the cépage ameliorateurs in the Midi, where it is important in improving wines made from lesser grapes. Usually it is only a minor component of the blend, but there is now some varietal Vin de Pays produced in Southern areas of France (some at high quality and price). It is included in Châteauneuf du Pape. Although it is famous for the still red wines, there are port-style and sparkling wines made from Shiraz in Australia.

Vinification of Syrah
It is important to restrict yield in order to retain varietal character. It requires attention to yields, long cool fermentation, and maturation in oak. It is naturally tannic; the tendency to include stems has largely been abandoned in France, under the belief that sufficient tannins are extracted from the skins. It is more prone to oxidize than Cabernet Sauvignon. Like Pinot Noir, it tends to lose its color during vinification; the color can be fixed by use of barriques, performing MLF in barrique, but this tends to be more a phenomenon of the New World. In Australia, fermentation is often finished off in barrel by racking just (~3 days before) the end of fermentation when the temperature drops to ~18°C.

Viticulture of Syrah
It is relatively easy to grow, budding late and ripening early. It does well in warm, but not too hot, climates, and is not very tolerant of too much coolness or too much warmth. Although sensitive to coulure, it resists most diseases and pests. It tends to vigor, which needs to be controlled. The best results are obtained on shallow, rocky, well-drained soil. The best Rhône sites have soils derived from primary rock, including granite. (But less attention is paid to soil in Australia.) Syrah has a tendency to shrivel in very hot weather (such as the 2003 vintage in both the Rhône and California); the perfect time to pick is during the dimpling that happens just before the grapes shrivel.

Clones of Syrah
There may be two strains in France, Petite being of higher quality than Grande, and comprising the Australian Shiraz. (Petite Syrah in California is really Durif.) The berries are medium size with intensely pigmented skins that have high levels of anthocyanins. Petite Syrah has smaller berries than Grande Syrah.

The taste of Syrah
Syrah is deeply colored red with black hues, perhaps not as densely colored as Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose tends towards a mineral blueberry, often with a spicy and peppery nose and flavor, sometimes showing a tarry or burned rubber aroma. New World Syrah can be quite aromatic (more so than Cabernet Sauvignon.) Syrah is dry, dense, rich, alcoholic, and tannic. Eventually it tends toward a similar flavor spectrum as old Bordeaux. The peppery quality tends to come out in wines made from grapes harvested at lower ripeness levels. (Syrah used to be blended with Bordeaux to add color and structure.) Its character is not usually detectable in blends until it amounts to more than half.