Syrah
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Syrah is a thick-skinned red grape originating in France's Northern Rhône Valley, where appellations like Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage established the variety's reputation for dark fruit, olive tapenade, cracked pepper, and iron-edged tannins. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah typically plays a supporting role in blends, as in JL Chave's Mon Coeur and Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe's Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, where it contributes structure alongside Grenache and Mourvèdre. California interpretations, particularly from warmer Santa Barbara sites like Tensley's Colson Canyon Vineyard bottling, shift toward riper blackberry and espresso registers while retaining varietal grip. Sine Qua Non and Guigal represent opposite poles of ambition within the grape, one rooted in Rhône classicism, the other in California cult winemaking.
Description
Syrah is a thick-skinned red grape originating in France's Northern Rhône Valley, where appellations like Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage established the variety's reputation for dark fruit, olive tapenade, cracked pepper, and iron-edged tannins. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah typically plays a supporting role in blends, as in JL Chave's Mon Coeur and Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe's Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, where it contributes structure alongside Grenache and Mourvèdre. California interpretations, particularly from warmer Santa Barbara sites like Tensley's Colson Canyon Vineyard bottling, shift toward riper blackberry and espresso registers while retaining varietal grip. Sine Qua Non and Guigal represent opposite poles of ambition within the grape, one rooted in Rhône classicism, the other in California cult winemaking.
