Our Syrah Suggestions to Sip on For Your Wine Studies

Syrah can be a challenging variety to identify in a blind tasting due to the wide range of styles it produces.  When grown in cooler to moderate climates, Syrah shows higher acidity, medium alcohol, and flavors of tart or just ripe fruits with savory olives and herbs.  But in hotter regions, Syrah’s acidity is often medium (at most), alcohol is higher, the fruit character can be ripe or jammy, with possible dark chocolate or sweet spices from heavier usage of oak.

Thankfully, certain regions and styles are more likely to be tested on than others. We’ve scoured past exams and based our list below on the regions that made appearances most frequently. And although we both love Walla Walla Syrah, since this an unlikely (but not impossible!) exam wine, we didn’t include that on our list. But we’re still holding out hope for a Rocks AVA Syrah on one of our future blind tastings. 😉

Here are our Syrah suggestions to seek out for your wine studies:

Côte-Rôtie

Many people consider Côte-Rôtie the benchmark region for Syrah.  And as wine students know, benchmark regions frequently show up on exams.  With their gorgeous, lifted aromatics - wines from Côte-Rôtie are usually on the more elegant end of the Syrah scale. 

E. Guigal’s Brune et Blonde de Guigal - co-fermented with a small percentage of Viognier and aged 3 years in oak (50% new).  Credited with reviving the Côte-Rôtie appellation, Guigal is an iconic producer known for a more modern, oaked style. 

Domaine Jamet - considered classically styled Côte-Rôtie, aged in barrel for 18-22 months with max 33% new.  Jamet also produces an entry-level wine aged 16 months in neutral oak barrels.

 Domaine Gangloff’s ‘La Barbarine’ – more restrained oak usage with around 23 months aging in mostly used vessels.

Australia

Moving to a completely different hemisphere, these wines are usually a completely different style than Syrah’s homeland.  While several Australian producers are attempting to emulate the elegance of the Northern Rhône, we recommend wine students familiarize themselves with the “classic Shiraz” style: full bodied, high alcohol, ripe and occasionally jammy fruit, and aged in American oak. 

Peter Lehmann Portrait Shiraz - a solid entry level wine that’s shown up on more than one past exam.

Mollydooker ‘The Boxer’ Shiraz - aged in 100% American oak, around half new.  The name is spot on – this Shiraz can hit you upside the head with its jammy, concentrated fruits, high soft tannins, and alcohol clocking in above 15%.

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimina Shiraz.  Australia’s most well-known producer is well-worth your time tasting.  This particular Shiraz is a blend of regions with Barossa “well represented.”

For a more premium Shiraz, try either D’Arenberg ‘The Dead Arm’ Shiraz or Yalumba ‘The Octavius’.  These are both from older, low-yielding vines with some French oak influence.

Northern Rhône – Outside Côte-Rôtie

Due to their larger size, Northern Rhône regions Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph produce a wider range of styles than Côte-Rôtie.  Wines from these appellations also show up frequently on exams though, so we recommend comparing one below against a Côte-Rôtie to hone in on the differences.

David Reynaud, Domaine Les Bruyeres ‘Beaumont’ Crozes-Hermitage

Domaine Coursodon ‘Silice’ Saint-Joseph

Maxime Graillot Domaine des Lises Crozes-Hermitage

 South Africa

Syrah from South Africa is becoming more common as part of a blind tasting lineup.  Stylistically, these wines often fall somewhere in between an elegant Côte-Rôtie and a bold Aussie Shiraz.  But, of course, that all depends on the producer.  Look for Syrah from Stellenbosch producers Rust en Vrede or Rustenberg (who produces both a Syrah AND a Shiraz!)

New Zealand – Hawkes Bay

Hawke’s Bay has the most Syrah plantings of any region in New Zealand and these have shown up on a handful of MW exams.  If you can find them, it’s worth trying Te Mata Estate Syrah (more simple and easygoing) or Trinity Hill Homage Syrah (from the Gimblett Gravels subregion).

Chile

Syrah plantings are rapidly increasing in Chile – which helps explain its increasingly frequent occurrence on wine exams.  Past exam wines have come from Chile’s cooler areas like Limarí or Leyda Valley – which admittedly are not easy to find in many markets.  These Syrahs are typically on the elegant side, with a lighter body and higher acidity.