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57-427: The wines are red, made with Syrah grapes and up to 20% Viognier , a white grape used for its aroma . According to appellation rules, Syrah and Viognier (if used) must be fermented at the same time, a process known as cofermentation . Because of this combination, Côte-Rôtie wine typically exhibits an almost paradoxical pairing of meat aromas (including bacon) and floral aromas. The Côte-Rôtie, and more generally

114-461: A hermit 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 oenophiles , such as Bordeaux enthusiast Thomas Jefferson , 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

171-539: 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. The wines that made Syrah famous were those from Hermitage, the hill above the town Tain-l'Hermitage in northern Rhône, where an hermitage ( chapel ) was built on the top, and where De Stérimberg is supposed to have settled as

228-508: A blending component in Bordeaux wines. In an era when " clarets " were less powerful than today, and before appellation rules, red wines from warmer regions would be used for improvement (or adulteration , 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 châteaux would use Hermitage to improve their wines, especially in weaker vintages. In 1831,

285-502: A blending component with Argentina's signature dark-skinned grape Malbec to provide an "Argentinian take" on the Australian Cabernet-Shiraz blend. The Syrah grape was introduced into Australia in 1832 by James Busby , 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 been in such favour; in

342-423: 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

399-459: A form of dieback characterised by the leaves turning red in late summer, deep cracks developing in the stem above the graft , and the premature death of the vine. The syndrome was first observed in 1990s in the Gard and Hérault departments of Southern of France , but is now widespread. It is believed to be caused by mismatch between the rootstock and scion rather than an infection by a fungus or

456-525: A limited area in southeastern France, close to northern Rhône. Based on these findings, the researchers have concluded Syrah originated from northern Rhône. 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 ampelographic investigations, be it by methods of classical botany or DNA. Instead, they seem to have been based primarily or solely on

513-482: A local lord who had two very different personalities. Similarly, the wines of both regions also have different characteristics. Wines of the Côte Blonde are often more balanced , elegant and meant to be consumed earlier. Wines of the iron-rich Côte Brune contain more tannins , are full-bodied and meant to age longer in the bottle prior to being consumed. Traditionally, most Côte-Rôtie wines are blends of grapes from

570-579: A number of Australian winemakers also make a full-bodied sparkling dry Shiraz, which contains the complexity and sometimes earthy notes that are normally found in still wine. Due to their concentrated flavours and high tannin 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 wine serving temperatures at 18 °C (65 °F). Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with

627-406: 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 Margaret River produce Shiraz with marginally less alcohol content and often in

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684-493: 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 wine producing regions around the world, with concentrations in Australia, The Rhone Valley in France, and

741-645: A virus. In Spain there was an increase in the area cultivated in Syrah grapes from 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) in 1990 to 19,045 hectares (47,060 acres) in 2009. It is grown primarily in Castilla-La Mancha , with lesser amounts in Aragon and Catalonia . As of 2015 it was the seventh most grown red grape in Spain, with 20,155 hectares (49,800 acres) accounting for 4% of the red grape total. The Syrah grape

798-1091: A wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, and black pepper. No one aroma can be called typical though blackberry, coffee 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 oak barrel and yeast treatment). C13- Norisoprenoids such as 7,8-dihydroionone derivatives, such as megastigmane-3,9-diol and 3-oxo-7,8-dihydro-α-ionol , are found in Shiraz leaves. The Syrah-dominated appellations (AOCs) of northern Rhône have, like most other French appellations and regions, no tradition of varietal labeling of their wines. Indeed, such practices are generally disallowed under AOC rules, and only

855-452: Is Sicily . Syrah, as it is known in France, is grown throughout the Rhône valley . The wines that are made from it vary greatly, even over small changes in the location of the vines. 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

912-445: Is one of the few wine appellations that allow white wine grapes to be used in a blend of red wine. (The southern Rhône region Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC is another.) The region was also one of the first Rhône regions to make use of new oak barrels for aging, though the practice fell out of favor in the late 19th century following the phylloxera epidemic . Négociants revived the practice in the 1980s and today its use varies according to

969-598: The Department of Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis used DNA typing and extensive grape reference material from the viticultural research station in Montpellier , France to conclude that Syrah was the offspring of the grape varieties Dureza (father) and Mondeuse blanche (mother). Dureza, a dark-skinned grape variety from the Ardèche region in France, has all but disappeared from

1026-649: The Hawke's Bay and Waiheke in New Zealand , California and Washington . It can also be found in several Australian wine regions such as the Barossa , Heathcote , Coonawarra , Hunter Valley , Margaret River , Adelaide Hills , Clare Valley and McLaren Vale . Syrah has a long documented history in the Rhône region of southeastern France, but it was not known if it had originated in that region. A 1998 study conducted by Carole Meredith 's research group in

1083-622: The Rhône River near the village of Ampuis. In the Côte-Rôtie, the Rhône flows southwest for 9.7 kilometers (6.0 mi). To maximize the amount of sunshine that the vines receive (especially with the fog that often develops near the grape harvest time), vineyards will more often be planted on the south- or southeast-facing slopes along this part of the river. The Côte-Rôtie is subdivided into two main sections of varying soil compositions -

1140-419: The acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allow the wines produced to have favorable aging potential . Syrah is used as a single varietal 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 New World wine regions such as: Chile , South Africa ,

1197-509: The " strinization " of the original word, a process of changing vowels as part of Australian slang. However, while the names "Shiraz" and "Hermitage" gradually 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 English language on

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1254-605: The 1860s, Syrah was established as an important variety in Australia. Syrah continues to be the main grape of the northern Rhône and is associated with classic wines such as Hermitage , Cornas and Côte-Rôtie . In the southern Rhône, it is used as a blending grape in such wines as Châteauneuf-du-Pape , Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône , where Grenache 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

1311-566: The 1970s, white wine was so popular that growers were ripping out unprofitable Shiraz and Grenache vineyards, even those with old vines . In the Barossa Valley , the world's oldest continually producing commercial vineyard is believed to be the Shiraz vines at Turkey Flat in Tanunda that were originally planted in 1847. Many factors, including the success of brands like Lindemans (part of Treasury Wine Estates ) and Jacob's Creek in

1368-547: 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 that has emerged in the New World, primarily in Australia. To confuse matters, in northern Rhône, 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

1425-518: The Côte Brune ("brown slope") in the north on dark, iron-rich schist and the Côte Blonde with its pale granite and schist soil. Erosion is a common viticultural hazard on these steep vineyards. The granite and schist soils are vital in retaining heat throughout the day to protect the vines from the chilly temperatures during the mistral seasons. Stone walls are built around the lands, and the hillsides are often heavily terraced to try to counter

1482-714: The Scotsman James Busby , often called "the Father of Australian viticulture", made a trip back to Europe to collect cuttings from vines (primarily from France and Spain ) 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 Royal Botanic Garden , and in Hunter Valley , and in 1839 brought from Sydney to South Australia . By

1539-757: The UK, as well as Rosemount 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 steady increase in exports due to the historically low value of the Australian dollar . In the 2005–2006 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

1596-559: 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 varietal 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,

1653-519: The aging potential of over 20 years. The most distinctive characteristic of all Côte-Rôtie wine is the aroma. The fragrant notes of these wines often include green olives, raspberry, violets , and meaty bacon. Other flavors commonly associated with Côte-Rôtie wine include black pepper, white pepper, blueberry, blackberry, plum, and leather. The vines of the region are very old, with 40 years being an average and some vines being over 100. This produces low wine yields of very flavor-concentrated fruit. Most of

1710-488: The area with planted vines increased from 102 hectares (250 acres) to 231 hectares (570 acres). The origins of the Côte-Rôtie most famous planting—Syrah—is confirmed to be indigenous to the Rhone valley. Syrah has been genetically shown to be a cross between Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza . Syrah Syrah ( / ˈ s iː r ɑː / ), also known as Shiraz , is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout

1767-490: The case of Côte-Rôtie . Syrah is also a key component to many blends. It may be used to add structure and color to Grenache in southern Rhône blends, including Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape . Syrah is also the only red grape used in the wines of the northern Rhône. In 1968, there existed only 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres) of Syrah vineyards in France, primarily in the traditional appellations of northern Rhône, which at that time had not received much attention in

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1824-540: The city of Shiraz in ancient Iran . The former capital of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty produced the well-known Shirazi wine , and legends claim the original grape was later brought to the Rhône . At least two significantly different versions of the myth are reported, giving different accounts of how the grape variety is supposed to have travelled, differing up to 1,800 years in dating

1881-468: 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. 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 often connect it with

1938-635: The event. In one version, the Phocaeans could have brought Syrah to their colony around Marseilles , then known as Massilia , an ancient Greek colony ( apoikia ) on the Mediterranean coast , east of the Rhône, which was founded around 600 BCE by the ancient Greeks . The grape would then later have spread to the northern Rhône, which was never colonized by the Phocaeans. No documentary evidence exists to back up this legend, and it also requires

1995-406: The export market may also have played a role. In 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 Rhône vineyards have been planted with Syrah as part of the expansion, the major part of

2052-606: The first time. The name "Shiraz", from Shiraz in Iran , was historically applied to a wine unrelated to contemporary Shiraz wines and was made from a grape or grapes entirely different from the Syrah that has been proven to originate in southeastern France. Smaller amounts of Syrah are also used in the production of other wine styles, such as rosé wine , fortified wine in Port wine style, and sparkling red wine. While Australian sparkling Shiraz traditionally have had some sweetness,

2109-632: The grape variety's origin, based on the name Syrah , is that it was brought from Syracuse by the legions of Roman Emperor Probus sometime after 280 CE. This legend also lacks documentary evidence and is inconsistent with ampelographic findings. Another proposed etymology links it with the Proto-Celtic word * serra ' billhook ', presumably because the billhook was used in pruning . The name "Shiraz" has been used primarily in Australia in modern times, where it has long been established as

2166-544: The issues. Some vineyard owners gather the eroded soils and rocks in buckets and carry them back up the slope to the vines. Syrah and Viognier are the only permitted grape varieties of the Côte-Rôtie AOC. While many of the region's wines are made of 100% Syrah, up to 20% of Viognier can be added to the wine. The wines are often meant to be consumed 5–6 years after vinification but well-made examples can need 10–15 years to fully develop their flavors with some wines having

2223-445: The most grown dark-skinned variety. In Australia, it was also commonly called Hermitage up to the late 1980s, but since that name became a French Protected Designation of Origin , this naming practice caused a problem in some export markets and was dropped. The name "Scyras" was used to describe the grape in the earliest Australian documents, and "Shiraz" has been speculated (among others by Jancis Robinson ) to have come about through

2280-441: The name or synonyms of the variety. Varying orthography for grape names render dubious any name-based evidence of origins. Nevertheless, origins such as Syracuse or the famous Iranian city of Shiraz had been proposed while the genomic studies had 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

2337-527: The new French Syrah plantations are located in southern Rhône (which covers a much larger vineyard area than the northern part) and Languedoc-Roussillon . While southern Rhône 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 Rhône-like blends with Grenache , Australian-style blends with Cabernet Sauvignon , and varietal Syrah. Syrah vines in France often suffer from

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2394-619: The northern Rhone Valley and parts of the Walla Walla AVA in Washington State ), they tend to produce medium to full-bodied wines with medium-plus to high levels of tannins and notes of blackberry, mint and black pepper . In hot climates (such as Crete , and the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions of Australia ), Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of licorice , anise and earthy leather. In many regions

2451-410: The northern Rhône, has a continental climate that is very different from the more Mediterranean climate of the southern Rhône. Winters are wet and marked by the cold mistral winds that can last into the spring. During the late spring and early autumn, fog can settle on the vineyards making the ripening of grapes a challenge. The wine region covers 202 hectares (500 acres) along the western bank of

2508-608: The original Syrah seed plant. In the year 77 CE, Pliny the Elder wrote in his Naturalis Historia about the wines of Vienne (which today would be called Côte-Rôtie ), where the Allobroges made famous and prized wine from a dark-skinned grape variety that had not existed some 50 years earlier, in Virgil 's age. Pliny called the vines of this wine Allobrogica , and it has been speculated that it could be today's Syrah. However,

2565-401: The other hand, would then be more similar to archetypical Australian or other New World examples, presumably made from riper berries , 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

2622-520: The plant [Scyras] was originally brought from Shiraz in Persia, by one of the hermits of the mountain" called Gaspare de Stérimberg. There is a connection between the name Syrah and the Persian word "سیاه" (pronounced siah or syah , meaning "black"). It refers to the origin of this grape, which comes from black grapes and shows connection between the city of Shiraz and this grape. Another legend of

2679-471: The producer. The earliest record of viticulture in the region dates to the 2nd century BC when the Romans first encountered the Allobroges tribe whose territory included the regions around Vienne. While winemaking continued to have a long history in the region, the Côte-Rôtie did not receive much recognition until the 18th century when Parisians began discovering the wines of Beaujolais and Rhône. Around

2736-428: The same time, the British also discovered the wines with the purchase logs of John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol providing one of the earliest English records of "Côte-Rôty" (sic) wine. There were added considerations with the transportation of Côte-Rôtie wine, with the region using 20-U.S. gallon (76 liter) amphora -like vases for transport instead of barrels or early wine bottles . Until a few decades ago, Côte-Rôtie

2793-646: The superior version, giving wines higher in phenolics . 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 Rhône reds; presumably more elegant, tannic, smoke-flavoured and restrained with respect to their fruit component. "Shiraz"-labelled wines, on

2850-425: The two sub-regions, incorporating both sets of distinctive qualities. In recent years, more single vineyard designated wines have been produced that emphasize the terroir of that vineyard. Marcel Guigal was an early pioneer in single vineyard bottling. Some of the most prestigious vineyards in the Côte-Rôtie include, La Chatillone, La Chevalière, La Garde, La Landonne, La Mouline, La Turque. The Côte-Rôtie

2907-464: The variety to later vanish from the Marseilles region without leaving any trace. The legend connecting Syrah's origins with the city of Shiraz in ancient Iran may, however, be of French origin. James Busby wrote in his Journal of a recent visit to the principal vineyards of Spain and France an excerpt from the 1826 book Œnologie Française ; "according to the tradition of the neighbourhood,

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2964-417: The vineyards used for producing Côte-Rôtie AOC are planted on the slopes of nearly 60° incline. The appellation extends to the flatter plateau above the slopes but the wine there is generally of lower quality and is sold with the more generic Côtes du Rhône AOC . Legend has that the two sub-regions of the Côte-Rôtie, Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, were named after the blonde and brown hair colored daughters of

3021-540: The vineyards, and the preservation of such varieties is a speciality of Montpellier . Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the Savoie region, and is still found in 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

3078-460: The wine world for several decades, and the vineyards of which were not planted to full capacity. After the wines of northern Rhône 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 Robert M. Parker Jr. awarded high scores, up to the "perfect" score of 100 points, to wines of some Rhône producers. The popularity of Australian Shiraz on

3135-428: The world and used primarily to produce red wine . In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France , Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche . Syrah should not be confused with Petite Sirah , a cross of Syrah with Peloursin dating from 1880. The style and flavor profile of wines made from Syrah are influenced by the climate where the grapes are grown. In moderate climates (such as

3192-607: Was introduced into Switzerland in 1926 and in 2009 was the 6th most common red wine grape in Switzerland (181 hectares). Mostly grown in Valais , along the upper Rhône valley above Lake Geneva , it produces "unexpectedly concentrated wine from mature vines". Syrah plantations in Argentina 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

3249-534: Was not a serious competitor to Hermitage , which was the best-known northern Rhône vineyard internationally. Demand for Rhône wines began to grow in the early 1970s, and this growth accelerated from the late 1970s/early 1980s. For Côte-Rôtie it was the wines of Marcel Guigal which gave the appellation increased attention from the early 1980s. This included top marks from international wine critics for Guigal's wines La Mouline and La Landonne . This increase in demand led to new vineyards being created. From 1982 to 2005,

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