From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Syrah or "Shiraz" is a dark-skinned
grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce . In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern ,
and . Syrah should n a cross of Syrah with
dating from 1880.
The style and flavor profile of wines made from Syrah is influenced by the climate where the grapes are grown with moderate climates (such as the northern
and parts of the
in ) tending to produce
wines with medium-plus to high levels of tannins and notes of blackberry, mint and black pepper. In hot climates (such as , and the
regions of ), Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of licorice, anise and earthy leather. In many regions the acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allow the wines produced to have favorable .
Syrah is used as a single
or as a blend. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world's 7th most grown grape at 142,600 hectares (352,000 acres). It can be found throughout the globe from France to
regions such as: , , the , , ,
and . It can also be found in several Australian wine regions such as: , , ,
Syrah has a long documented history in the
region of southeastern France, but it was not known if it had originated in that region. In 1998, a study conducted by 's research group in the
and extensive grape reference material from , France to conclude that Syrah was the offspring of the grape varieties
(father) and
The Rh?ne-Alpes region. Dureza is believed to have originated in the Ardèche (#1) in the southwest and moved east/northeast into Dr?me (#2) and Isère (#3). Somewhere in this area, most likely in Isère, the vine crossed with Mondeuse blanche, a variety native to the Savoie region (#4), to produce Syrah.
Dureza, a dark-skinned grape variety from the
region in France, has all but disappeared from the vineyards, and the preservation of such varieties is a speciality of . Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the
region, and is still found in very small amounts in that region's vineyards today. Both varieties are somewhat obscure today, and have never achieved anything near Syrah's fame or popularity, and there is no record of them ever having been cultivated at long distances from their present homes. Thus, both of Syrah's parents come from a limited area in southeastern France, very close to northern Rh?ne. Based on these findings, the researchers have concluded Syrah originated from northern Rh?ne.
The DNA typing leaves no room for doubt in this matter, and the numerous other hypotheses of the grape's origin which have been forwarded during the years all completely lack support in the form of documentary evidence or
investigations, be it by methods of classical
or DNA. Instead, they seem to have been based primarily or solely on the name or synonyms of the variety. Because of varying
for grape names, especially for old varieties, this is, in general, very thin evidence. Despite this, origins such as
or the famous Iranian city of
have been proposed while the genomic studies yet to be done.
The parentage information, however, does not reveal how old the grape variety is, i.e., when the pollination of a Mondeuse blanche vine by Dureza took place, leading to the original Syrah seed plant. In the year AD 77,
wrote in his
about the wines of
(which today would be called ), where the
made famous and prized wine from a dark-skinned grape variety that had not existed some 50 years earlier, in 's age. Pliny called the vines of this wine Allobrogica, and it has been speculated that it could be today's Syrah. However, the description of the wine would also fit, for example, Dureza, and Pliny's observation that vines of Allobrogica were resistant to cold is not entirely consistent with Syrah.
Clusters of Syrah grapes
It is called Syrah in its country of origin, , as well as in the rest of , , , ,
and .[] The name Shiraz became popular for this grape variety in , where it has long been established as the most grown dark-skinned variety. In Australia, it was also commonly called
up to the late 1980s, but since that name is also a French , this naming practice caused a problem in some export markets and was dropped.
The grape's many other synonyms are used in various parts of the world, including Antourenein noir, Balsamina, Candive, Entournerein, Hignin noir, Marsanne noir, Schiras, Sirac, Syra, Syrac, Serine, and Sereine.
Legends of Syrah's origins come from one of its homonyms, . Because , Capital of the Persian Empire (modern-day ), produced the well-known , legends claim the Syrah grape originated in Shiraz and then was brought to Rh?ne. At least two significantly different versions of the myth are reported, giving different accounts of how the variety is supposed to have been brought from Shiraz to Rh?ne, and differing up to 1,800 years in dating this event. In one version, the
could have brought Syrah/Shiraz to their colony around
(then known as ), which was founded around 600 BC by the . The grape would then later have made its way to northern Rh?ne, which was never colonized by the Phocaeans. No documentary evidence exists to back up this legend, and it also requires the variety to later vanish from the Marseilles region without leaving any trace.
The legend connecting Syrah with the city of Shiraz in Iran may, however, be of French origin.
wrote in Journal of a recent visit to the principal vineyards of Spain and France that the 1826 book OEnologie Fran?aise, "stated that, according to the tradition of the neighbourhood, the plant [Scyras] was originally brought from
in Persia, by one of the hermits of the mountain" called Gaspare de Stérimberg.
Since the name Shiraz has been used primarily in Australia in modern times, while the earliest Australian documents use the spelling "Scyras", the name Shiraz has been speculated (among others by ) to be in fact a so-called "" of Syrah's name via Scyras. However, while the names Shiraz and Hermitage gradually seem to have 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. So, while the name or spelling Shiraz may be an effect of the
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 use of this name popular.
Syrah leaf
Another legend of the grape variety's origin, based on the name Syrah, is that it was brought from
by the legions of Roman Emperor
sometime after AD 280. This legend also lacks documentary evidence and is inconsistent with ampelographic findings.
The wines that made Syrah famous were those from Hermitage, the hill above the town
in northern Rh?ne, where an
() was built on the top, and where De Stérimberg is supposed to have settled as a
after his crusades. Hermitage wines have for centuries had a reputation for being powerful and excellent. While Hermitage was quite famous in the 18th and 19th centuries, and attracted interest from foreign , such as
enthusiast , it lost ground and foreign attention in the first half of the 20th century.
In the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, most Hermitage wine that left France did so as a blending component in Bordeaux wines. In an era when "" were less powerful than today, and before appellation rules, red wines from warmer regions would be used for improvement (or , depending on the point of view) of Bordeaux wines. While Spanish and Algerian wines are also known to have been used for this purpose, top Bordeaux ch?teaux would use Hermitage to improve their wines, especially in weaker vintages.
In 1831, the Scotsman , often called "the Father of Australian viticulture", made a trip back to Europe to collect
from vines (primarily from France and ) for introduction to Australia. One of the varieties collected by him was Syrah, although Busby used the two spellings "Scyras" and "Ciras". The cuttings were planted in the , and in , and in 1839 brought from Sydney to . By the 1860s, Syrah was established as an important variety in Australia.
Syrah continues to be the main grape of the northern Rh?ne and is associated with classic wines such as ,
and . In the southern Rh?ne, it is used as a blending grape in such wines as ,
and , where
usually makes up the bulk of the blend. Although its best incarnations will age for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth tannin structure. Syrah has been widely used as a blending grape in the red wines of many countries due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate, balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete" wine.
From the 1970s and even more from the 1990s, Syrah has enjoyed increased popularity, and plantings of the variety have expanded significantly in both old and new locations. In the early 2000s, it broke into the top 10 of varieties planted worldwide for the first time.
A Shiraz from Washington State
The name Shiraz, from
in , historically was applied to a wine very different from today's Shiraz wines, and was made from a grape or grapes entirely different from the Syrah that has been proved to originate in southeastern France.
Smaller amounts of Syrah are also used in the production of other wine styles, such as ,
style, and sparkling red wine. While Australian
traditionally have had some sweetness, a number of Australian winemakers also make a full-bodied sparkling dry Shiraz, that contains the complexity and sometimes earthy notes that are normally found in still wine.
Due to their concentrated flavours and high
content, many premium Syrah wines are at their best after some considerable bottle aging. In exceptional cases, this may be 15 years or longer.
Syrah has one of the highest recommended
at 18 °C (65 °F).
Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other
practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical" though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these "primary" notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory "tertiary" notes such as leather and truffle. "Secondary" flavor and aroma notes are those associated with several things, generally winemakers' practices (such as
treatment).
C13- such as
derivatives, such as
and , are found in Shiraz leaves.
A New World wine labeled as Syrah
The Syrah-dominated
(AOCs) of northern Rh?ne have, like most other French appellations and regions, no tradition of
labeling of their wines. Indeed, such practices are generally disallowed under AOC rules, and only the AOC name (such as Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage or Hermitage) appears on the label. Varietal labeling of Syrah/Shiraz wines is therefore a practice which has emerged in the New World, and primarily in Australia.
To confuse matters, in northern Rh?ne, different clones of genuine Syrah are referred to as Petite Syrah (small Syrah) or Gros Syrah (large Syrah) depending on the size of their berries, with Petite Syrah being considered the superior version, giving wines higher in .
As a general rule, most Australian and South African wines are labeled Shiraz, and most European wines (from such regions where varietal labeling is practiced) are labeled Syrah. In other countries, practices vary and winemakers (or wine marketers) sometimes choose either Syrah or Shiraz to signify a stylistic difference in the wine they have made. "Syrah"-labelled wines are sometimes thought to be more similar to classic Northern Rh? presumably more elegant, tannic, smoke-flavoured and restrained with respect to their fruit component. "Shiraz"-labelled wines, on the other hand, would then be more similar to archetypical Australian or other New W presumably made from , more fruit-driven, higher in alcohol, less obviously tannic, peppery rather than smokey, usually more easily approached when young, and possibly slightly sweetish in impression. It must however be realized that this rule of thumb is unevenly applied.
Syrah is a variety that during the last few decades has been imported for cultivation in several countries. It is primarily grown in warmer regions. Worldwide plantations of Syrah have increased considerably in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and both Syrah-labelled and Shiraz-labelled wines are on the increase.
It is grown in many
around the world, with concentrations in Australia, The Rhone Valley in France, and the US. It is often used as a blending grape in Spain and Italy as well. It is also planted in Portugal, which favor making
Syrah wine, and not only blending with other types.
In Italy, Syrah is grown in Tuscany (i.e. Cortona DOC), Lazio (Pontine Agro), and Apulia (Syrah Tarantino IGT). Also a DOC Sirah Piedmont exists. The region though which has made one of the best uses of Syrah, by blending it with Nero d'Avola grapes, is Sicily. The wines thus obtained are mellow with spicy accents and are in great demand on the international market.
Vineyards on the Hermitage hill are dominated by Syrah.
Syrah, as it is known in France, is grown throughout the Rh?ne valley. The wines that are made from it vary greatly, even over small changes in the vines locations. The differences in the soil quality as well as the changes in the slope of the terrain tend to produce different styles of wine. Ranging from the mineral and tannic nature of Hermitage, to fruity and perfumed in the case of C?te-R?tie.
Syrah is also a key component to many blends. It may be used to add structure and color to
in southern Rh?ne blends, including
and Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape. Syrah is also the only red grape used in the wines of the northern Rh?ne.
In 1968, there existed only 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres) of Syrah vineyards in France, primarily in the traditional appellations of northern Rh?ne, which at that time had not received much attention in the wine world for several decades, and the vineyards of which were not planted to full capacity. After the wines of northern Rh?ne were "rediscovered" by wine writers in the 1970s, plantings expanded considerably. This trend received an extra boost in the 1980s and 1990s, when influential wine writer
started to award very high scores, up to the "perfect" score of 100 points, to wines of some Rh?ne producers. The popularity of Australian Shiraz on the export market may also have played a role. 1988, total French plantings stood at 27,000 hectares (67,000 acres), and the 1999 viticultural survey found 50,700 hectares (125,000 acres) of Syrah vineyards. France thus has the world's largest plantations of Syrah.
While previously unused parts of the northern Rh?ne vineyards have been planted with Syrah as part of the expansion, the major part of the new French Syrah plantations are located in southern Rh?ne (which covers a much larger vineyard area than the northern part) and . While southern Rh?ne produces relatively few wines where Syrah is in the majority, the proportion of Syrah in the blended wines of this region has been on the rise. Languedoc-Roussillon uses Syrah to produce both Southern Rh?ne-like blends with Grenache, Australian-style blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, and varietal Syrah.
Syrah vines in France often suffer from a form of dieback characterised by the leaves turning red in late summer, deep cracks developing in the stem above the , and the premature death of the vine. The syndrome was first observed in 1990s in the
of , but is now widespread. It is believed to be caused by mismatch between the
and scion rather than an infection by a fungus or a virus.
There has been an increase in Spain of the area cultivated in Syrah grapes from 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) in 1990 to 19,045 hectares (47,060 acres) in 2009.
The Syrah grape was introduced into Switzerland in 1926 and in 2009 was the 6th most common red wine grape in Switzerland (181 hectars). Mostly grown in , along the upper Rh?ne valley above , it produces "unexpectedly concentrated wine from mature vines".
The Syrah grape was introduced into Australia in 1832 by , an immigrant who brought vine clippings from Europe with him, and it is almost invariably called Shiraz. Today it is Australia's most popular red grape, but has not always in the 1970s, white wine was so popular that growers were ripping out unprofitable Shiraz and Grenache vineyards, even those with very . In the , the world's oldest continually producing commercial vineyard is believed to be the Shiraz vines at
that were originally planted in 1847.
Many factors, including the success of brands like Lindemans (part of ) and
in the UK, as well as
in the US and UK, were responsible for a dramatic expansion of plantings during the 1980s and 1990s; a similar trajectory occurred in California. However, the biggest factor in this expansion during the 1990s was a federal government tax subsidy to those planting new vineyards.
growing season, total Shiraz plantations in Australia stood at 41,115 hectares (101,600 acres), of which 39,087 hectares (96,590 acres) were old enough to be productive. These vines yielded a total of 422,430 tonnes of Shiraz grapes for wine production. This made Shiraz the most planted variety in Australia, and Australia the world's second largest Syrah/Shiraz grower, after France.
Victorian regions include Heathcote, roughly 1.5 hours north of Melbourne. Cooler climate regions such as Western Australia's
produce Shiraz with marginally less alcohol content and often in a more traditional French style.
A well-known example of the Shiraz grape in Australian viticulture is the
. This wine was created by winemaker
in 1951, and has a reputation of aging well. The Penfolds Grange is predominantly Shiraz, but often includes a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is usually a multi-regional blend of quality South Australian Shiraz, with the Barossa Valley playing an important role, and matured in new American Oak. Other well-known Australian Shiraz wines include, the
"Hill of Grace" and the Penfolds "RWT".
Recently, Australian Shiraz producers have started to add up to 4%
to their Shiraz to add apricot tones to the wine's nose and palate. With such a small percentage added, the producer wasn't obliged to declare the blend on the label. In the past 5 years however, it's becoming increasingly fashionable to label the wine Shiraz Viognier as Viognier gains consumer acceptance in the market place. The practise of blending
with Syrah has actually been common for years in the Northern Rh?ne Valley region of Cote-Rotie.
Shiraz is also the "S" in "GSM" (Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre), which is common Australian designation for a Ch?teneuf-du-Pape-like blend.
plantations have expanded significantly, from 1% of the vineyard area in 1995 to 9.7% in 2007 making up a total area under cultivation of 9,856 hectares (24,350 acres). In South Africa, the variety is predominately known as Shiraz, but the designation Syrah is used for "Rh?ne-style" wines. Some see this variety as the "great hope" for South African wines.
The first planting of Syrah in Washington State was done at Red Willow Vineyards in 1986.
In the United States, wine produced from the grape is normally called by its French name, Syrah. However, in cases where winemakers choose to follow a New World style, similar to , they may choose to label their wines as Shiraz. Under American wine laws, either name may appear on the label. Syrah first appeared as a wine grape in California in the 1970s, where it was planted by a group of viticulturists who called themselves "Rh?ne rangers." Although most plantings of the grape are in California, there are increasing amounts of it being grown in Washington state. Syrah makes up a significant percentage of wine produced in several Washington AVA's such as the
and the . Syrah is also found in small regions in .
A Washington Syrah from the Columbia Valley AVA.
California Syrahs, much like those in France, vary a great deal based on the climate and
that they inhabit. In exceptionally warm regions, such as parts of Napa, the wine is often blended with other Rh?ne varieties. Other appellations, primarily mountainous ones, tend to produce varietal-based wines that can stand on their own. Syrah was introduced into Washington state in 1986 by
through their partnership with
. Expanding at a significant rate, it is used to produce single varietial wines as well as being blended with grapes such as , , and .
Syrah plantations in
increased from less than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) in 1990 to 9,500 hectares (23,000 acres) in 2002. Syrah has occasionally been used as a blending component with Argentina's signature dark-skinned grape
to provide an "Argentinian take" on the Australian Cabernet-Shiraz blend.
Around 2005, there were 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) of Syrah in .
, or Petite Sirah, is a descendant of Syrah and . It was propagated by and named after Dr. Francois Durif. Durif is a cross breed between the lesser known Peloursin and Syrah. Regions such as
have achieved international regard for their Durif. This varietal is similar to Shiraz, but even more full bodied and tannic because of the smaller, thicker skinned grapes used. Petite Sirah is widely planted in California, where it is popular as a varietal (for example, by ), and especially blended with , which results in a rich, bold and fruity wine.
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