Syrah — California’s Undiscovered Triumph
Vineyard plantings in California follow the market. Over the past decade, uncounted acres of vines have been quietly budded over to pecunious crops, such as Merlot and Chardonnay. These, after all, are the wines currently in favor with a majority of consumers.
Despite the realities of the market, California is confronted with another reality. This State happens to contain vineyard locations ideally suited to the Syrah grape. This grape, as you will recall, is the primary varietal of France's northern Rhône Valley, where it produces such stellar wines as Côte-Rotie and Hermitage. It's the grape of Penfold's Grange, the Australian blockbuster which is always listed in everyone's "top wines of the world."
Syrah is not new to California. But it's still unknown to the larger consumer market, making it relatively affordable. Great California Syrahs may be found for $20. Try finding a first rate Merlot or Chardonnay at that price.
Recently, I had occasion to present a range of Syrahs and Syrah based wines in a semi-blind tasting. Included were a Côte-Rotie and Hermitage from E. Guigal, producer of the world's most expensive Syrahs, an excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a fine Syrah from St. Joseph, a terrific Gigondas, and others. In blind competition, thirteen tasters picked a California Syrah from Jaffurs (Santa Barbara County) as the wine of the night. This fabulous, jammy, balanced, essence of Syrah fruit can be found for around $20.
I'm not surprised to hear that a large proportion of new vineyards in Central California are being planted to Syrah. Without doubt, it's poised to unseat Merlot as the fashionable red wine of the future. And when it does, that $20 bottle will probably cost quite a bit more. But take heart. While California Merlot has not widely proven itself to be ageworthy, Syrah has. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah does not seem to go through a funk while reorganizing itself for the long haul. Well balanced Syrah's are delicious when young, even better at five years, and keep developing for up to ten or even twenty years.
Here are some recommendations from the current release:
Qupe Syrah Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Reserve $28
Jaffurs Syrah Santa Barbara County $22
Eberle Syrah Paso Robles Steinbeck Vineyard $18
Truchard Syrah Napa Valley Carneros $18
Zaca Mesa Syrah Santa Barbara County Zaca Vineyards $18