Syrah / Shiraz
In France it's svelte and peppery; in Australia it's hedonistic and dark — one grape, two visions.
Key regions
- Northern Rhône
- Barossa Valley
- Washington State
- Languedoc
Flavor profile
Aging potential
5–25+ years (Hermitage).
The same grape goes by different names on different continents, and those names do reflect different styles. Northern Rhône Syrah — Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage — is savoury, almost meaty, with a distinctive white-pepper note and cool violet character. Australian Shiraz (Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale) is exuberantly ripe: jammy dark fruit, chocolate, vanilla from new oak, massive scale. Both styles age beautifully. Washington State has emerged as a third serious player, producing wines closer to the Rhône in structure but with New World fruit intensity.
Food pairings
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