Syrah
A dark, structured red grape with black pepper and violet, closely associated with the northern Rhône and called Shiraz in Australia.
At a glance
- Black pepper
- Violet
- Firm tannin
- Sweetness
- dry
- Tannin
- medium to high
- Body
- medium to full
Recognize it
Deep color, firm tannin, and medium acidity, with dark fruit, black pepper, violet, olive, and dried herbs. Pepper is more common in cooler-grown examples.
Detail
Syrah is a northern Rhône grape, most associated with Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, and called Shiraz in Australia. Its shoots grow long and break easily in wind, and the vines on the steep Rhône terraces are tied to individual stakes. It ripens mid season on small berries and the wines are usually deep in color with firm tannin.
Black pepper is associated with rotundone and is more common in cooler-grown Syrah. Not every wine shows it, and some tasters are much less sensitive to the aroma than others.
Similar grapes
Explore
Wines made from Syrah
- Côtes du Rhône
- Côte-Rôtie
- Côtes de Provence
- Barossa Shiraz
- Hermitage
- Crozes-Hermitage
- Cornas
- Saint-Joseph
- Pic Saint-Loup
- Vacqueyras
- Gigondas
- Lirac
- Côtes du Rhône Villages
- Cairanne
- Faugères
- Rasteau