Syrah's Identity Crisis

There's a joke in Eric Asimov's recent NYT article on Syrah: What’s the difference between a case of syrah and a case of pneumonia? You can get rid of the pneumonia. Poor Syrah. Sales are down, production is down. Of course there are some very fine Syrahs coming out of California, Australia, South Africa and, naturellement, France. (It's unclear whether the Côtes du Rhône or Languedoc-Roussillon wines are suffering the same fate as their American cousins.) And maybe now is a good time to buy Syrah. Unpopular means cheap. Okay, summer may mean not the time when you want too many Syrahs. (They can be like that happy, big friend you really like, but in summer he's a bit sweaty and has a habit of hugging you too hard.)

Of course old RP to the rescue. 2010 Top 100 featured an American Rhone-blend at number one (Saxum James Berry, from Paso Robles) and and Two Hands, an Aussie Shiraz from the Barossa Valley at number two.

New York Post's Scott Reiner recently featured winemaker Steve Edmunds winemaker of Edmunds St. John, who knows that "lovely Syrah can be made here" and has been trying for twenty-four years.

Asimov recommends several American producers including Copain, Bonny Doon, Qupe and Ouija Vineyards. I'd also add Santa Barbara County newcomer Io Winery, Melville (90 points Stephen Tanzer, also from SB County), Zaca Mesa (Santa Ynez) and Orin Swift "The Prisoner" (Napa).

Australia's most famous wines are Syrahs (yes, mate, Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape), most notably Penfolds Grange ($200+) as well as less pricey siblings like Penfolds Bin 389 ($30-$40), sometimes called “Baby Grange."

There are some wonderful South African Syrahs. WineAnorak recommends Vergelegen, The Observatory and Foundry. To that list I'd add Chocolate Block from Boekenhoutskloof (a blend of Malmesbury Syrah and Cabernet), GlenWood (pictured) and Neil Ellis (92 pts, WS), although some are hard to find outside of SA. South African wines available at Southern Hemisphere Wine Center.

From $20 to $40 Melville, Vergelegen, Curtis, Orin Swift, Penfold's Bin 389 and Copain are examples of Syrah bang for buck. So, put a steak on the grill. Uncork a Syrah. Let us know what you think.

See our post on South African Syrah.