Syrah

Red variety - Syrah

• General: Syrah or Shiraz? The two names for one variety are listed in the literature as "unequal twins". No other variety has so resolutely formed two styles, almost wine creeds, in the wine world. The French and Europeans insist on the name Syrah and the elegant, fine red wine style of the Rhône Valley. If you write Shiraz on the label in the new wine world of Australia, you are striving for the ideal of the often massive red wines of the Barossa Valley. Much has been speculated about the origin, which does not lead to the Persian city of the same name or to the Romans. The variety is a cross between the two old French varieties "Dureza" and "Mondeuse blanche". It is therefore probably an autochthonous variety of the northern Rhône valley, where it has been cultivated for more than 2000 years. Syrah, however, was only awakened from its slumber in the 1970s and grows on the steep slopes of the "Hermitage" and "Côte Rôtie" vineyards to become the most renowned wines in the world.
• Cluster: The compact, cylindrical grapes are medium-sized and partly shouldered. The small berries and the scent of the violet to black berries are typical. The berry skin is thin and at the same time resistant.
• Wine: The Syrah wines captivate with multi-layered aromas of violets, fresh plums and mint, combined with fine spicy notes and a hint of liquorice in a fine tannin framework. The Shiraz, on the other hand, shows the side of dark berry fruits, blackcurrants, pepper, typical chocolate and tobacco notes in a strong tannin structure, which promises a long storage potential.
• Cultivation: Syrah makes high demands on cultivation. Unfavourable flowering weather can lead to sensitive yield losses. The optimal time of ripening is crucial, but difficult to define depending on the vintage weather. In cold, wet years, Syrah does not ripen completely, resulting in green, hard tannins. In early, hot years, over-ripening can occur quickly. The berries often become jam-like without transition and fall off the stem. The variety is also sensitive to drought, chlorosis, botrytis, mites and grape berry moth.