August 24th, 2006 Syrah, Shiraz, Sirah and Such

Some say Shee-raz and some say Shee-rah. Or is it Syrah? And what does Petite Sirah have to do with it?

It's all so confusing, even people in the business get mixed up about Syrah, Shiraz, and Sirah. A retail sales clerk I recently argued with had just told a customer that Shiraz was a "native Australian grape." Right.

Retailers tell me that if a wine is designed Shiraz, it sells. If Syrah, it doesn't. Now what's up with THAT?

Shiraz is the term most often (but not in every case) found on Australian and South African versions of this varietal. Syrah is the preferred term in France, elsewhere in Europe, Washington State, and South America. California messes with both terms, just to play to the marketing, sometimes arguing that Shiraz is used when the clones planted are Australian.

Shiraz may be aged in American oak more often than Syrah, but that's a supposition, based on what I see Australian and South African winemakers do. However, there are American producers of Syrah who use American oak as well.

Depending on where it comes from and how it's coopered (made into wood fit for barrels), American oak can leave a prominent distinctive aroma and flavor, something of a blend of vanilla and coconut extract, and some times, if heavily toasted, an excessive caramel character. That burnt sugar edge is fine in my Bourbon, but not in my wine.

Myth and romance insist that Shiraz came from somewhere in Persia (Iran), whose ancient capital was the city of Shiraz. Did some wayward Crusader haul cuttings back to France? Of did the Phoenicians bring it when they founded Marseilles about 600 BC? These may be sweet romantic musings, but little else. The grape actually could be native to the Rhône Valley, where wine made from its possible parent grape, Vitis allobrogica, obtained fame and popularity as far back as Roman times. The differences one perceives between Syrah from France and Shiraz from Australia or South Africa have more to do with terroir and winemaking styles than anything else.

French Syrah, the grape of northern Rhône's Hermitage, absolutely requires aging to achieve complexity and, some would argue, to be fit to drink. Black pepper, black currant and blackberry flavors sometimes accompanied by a little "stink" of wet animal are its hallmarks. When mature, its power is matched by its elegance. Spilling out of its perhaps native Rhône soils, Syrah now is widely planted in southern France and along the "Med."

Shiraz from either Australia or South Africa is more likely to be fruit forward, show easy tannins, rich berry flavors, and intense, concentrated flavors with a certain fruit sweetness. These, too, can age remarkably. I remember once pulling out a 10-year-old inexpensive Shiraz, from Australia, and it drank like silk, while the spiciness and fruit had remained beautifully intact.

A vigorous vine, Syrah can withstand some tough growing conditions, although it prefers warmth and sun. Its vigor means the grower has to manage the canopy, pulling leaves to allow the sun to enter and ripen the grapes, and dropping fruit is essential to keep crop loads down. Those small berries Syrah characteristically produces are the source of the concentrated juicy flavors, inky dark color and good tannic structure.

Comes now Petite Sirah. Confusing the consumer, it has no relationship with Syrah, and often is considered a "lesser" grape. But hold on!! It can deliver a real mouthful of fine fruit flavors.

To make consumer understanding even more difficult, Petite Sirah has been associated with Durif, and in 2002 the U.S. Government (then BATF) decided it would accept either Durif or Petite Sirah on labels. Dr. Carole Meredith's studies at the University of California at Davis in the late 20th century showed that Durif and Petite Sirah are two different grapes, and that much of what is planted in California as Petite Sirah is in fact Durif. And she concluded that some of what's planted in Petite Sirah vineyards is a grape called Peloursin. Sorting out which is which in California vineyards is still a work in progress. That's why BATF decided to accept both designations, figuring that tradition favored the term Petite Sirah despite the fact that science was pointing toward Durif.

Durif is a crossing of Peloursin with Syrah, propagated originally in 19th-century France by Dr. François Durif for its mildew-resistant character. But, like Petite Sirah, its tight bunches made it susceptible to rot, nullifying any advantage it may have offered. Now pretty much abandoned in France, it's found something of a home in parts of Australia, notably Rutherglen, in Victoria. Hefty alcohol and tannin, plus deep purple red color are its main characteristics. Visiting winemakers in Rutherglen last year, I tasted several older examples, and clearly these wines can age. Tannins had softened with time, and fruit flavors had developed nicely. A high-yielding producer, its popularity in California through the mid-20th century was due to its commercial appeal. If you drank generic "Burgundy" in those days, you almost certainly drank some Durif.

To make matters more confusing, the term Petite Sirah acquired variant spellings. David Bruce uses Petite Syrah, and Petit Sirah and Petit Syrah also have been used. Moreover, the term has been applied to a collection of different grape types, including Syrah itself early on, as 19th- to mid-20th-century viticultural practices were a little loose at the edges. Vintners planted in a more "fruit salad" fashion then, creating random blends that spawned some of these confusions.

Old time California viticulturalists called Petite Sirah "Pets" for short. Often used as a blending grape, Petite Sirah from California often comes from very old vines, producing low yields, and wines that are tannic, intense, inky dark, and not particularly distinctive in flavor. For these very reasons, it often finds its way into blends with Cabernet Sauvignon or even Pinot Noir if those characteristics need boosting, yet it won't interfere markedly with the main grape's flavor profile. Sneaky, perhaps, but it works, although Pinot Noir purists detest the practice, which boosts the body and color of Pinot Noir beyond what it would normally exhibit. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico also have a good bit of "Pets" in their vineyards.

Petite Sirah can be long-lived. I've been surprised how good these wines can be as old as 10 years, but beyond that it's a roll of the dice. But when it's made it to 10 years, the results can be stunning, with deep dark fruit flavors and intriguing complexity, the integrated tannins making a "compleat" wine.

The wines below are a survey of the state of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Durif in the New World. Besides California, Syrah does extremely well in Washington State, and meets with good success in South America.

For serving purposes, these big wines need to be decanted well ahead of being served, as they evolve rather deliciously and quickly when exposed to air. Also serve them at cool room temperature (64-67° F), to suppress that typically high alcohol they show (14-15%) and boost their fruit. Choose a large glass that is tapered at the top to capture these wonderful berry aromas.

Jane Garvey

Food Pairings: Ok with braised short ribs of beef, but prefers more exotic flavors: smoked liverwurst; peppered liver pâté; black olives and dishes with same; ricotta-filled manicotti with tomato sauce; duck; roasted or grilled Cornish hen brushed with melted dark fruit jam; aged cheeses (such as Manchego), raspberry-filled milk chocolate

Price: $16
Wholesaler: Big Boat Wine Company

Food Pairings: Roast duck with dark fruit jus; Asian-influenced red meat dishes, Southern-style barbecue; duck with Asian five-spice powder; peppered pвtй; firm aged cheeses; Chinese barbecued ribs, aged cheeses, red raspberry-filled milk chocolate

Price: $25
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits

Food Pairings: Exotic flavors: Dim sum; Chinese barbecued steaks; spare ribs with tamarind and hoisin sauce; Southern-style barbecue with tomato-based sauce; Massaman curry (but not wicked hot): smoked liverwurst; peppered liver pâté; French pepper steak; firm aged cheeses, raspberry-filled milk chocolate

Price: $33
Wholesaler: Grapefields

Food Pairings: Simply seasoned (no Asian stuff here) rich well-caramelized foods: well-browned red-wine braised short ribs of beef with caramelized onions; veal or lamb stew; game (both furred and feathered); pan-seared steak or lamb chops; roast duck; for vegetarians, sweet potato-stuffed roasted Vidalia onions; rich creamy bleu and firm aged cheeses

Price: $33
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale

Nugan Duriif Manuka Estate 2003
Southeastern Australia

Score: 90 Points

Tasting Notes: Big, full-bodied dry inky purple red wine. Aromas of caramelized sugar suggest American oak (confirmed), dried dark fruits, aromatic brown spices. On the palate, juicy black currant, black cherry and a suggestion of dark fruit cake. Round tannins, well-integrated fruit/oak/acid/alcohol. Moderate cellaring potential.

Food Pairings: Spicy (but not hot) salami or cured sausages, such as saucisson de Lyon, sopressatta (mild); rich terrines and pвtйs; smoked meats; mild curries (Thai Massaman and Indian); Chinese barbecued steaks; roasted root vegetable stew with country ham; coq au vin made with this wine; roast duck with fig sauce or paste; rich, aged firm cheeses (Gouda); 60% cacao dark chocolate (awsome!)

Price: $25
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale Wine / NDC

Food Pairings: Rich pâtés and terrines; smoked meats; pan-sautéed steak, lamb chop, pork chop; red meat stews; Chinese barbecued steak; Massaman and other light curries (not hot); roast duck with figs or fig paste; firm aged cheeses (aged Gouda), milk chocolate with red raspberry

Price: $33
Wholesaler: United Distributors