International Shiraz Day
As modern day conquerors go, Shiraz owns the right for having carpeted just about every wine region of consequence and fashioning so many distinct styles that it is the only noble grape to enjoy different names in the old and new world. The grape may have had humble beginnings in France’s northern Rhone where it was born Syrah and consistently turns out a bright, peppery red and the new world realms of Australia and South Africa where the ‘Shiraz’ avatar trances the palate with lush red fruit, bold mouthfeel and at times unapologetic tannins. Shiraz is far and away the most top of mind red grape on earth on International Shiraz Day, it’s most opportune to explore the marquee styles of Shiraz ranging from Croze Hermitage in northern Rhone to Australia’s Barossa Valley and windswept Western Cape over in South Africa. There’s a lot to discover about this thick skinned noble fruit on its biggest day. Cheers!
Saint Cosme, Crozes Hermitage 2020
Our highly rated Northern Rhone expression is handpicked from the stable of Chateau Saint Cosme, run lovingly by the Barruol family since 1570. Present owner and winemaker Louis Barruol has spent a lifetime understanding and coaxing brilliance out of every key Rhone appellation and in the Crozes Hermitage, he has produced a wine that ‘encapsulates the gentle, soft feel of the fruit wrapped in an intense garnet- red cloak.’ Crozes Hermitage lords over Northern Rhone as its biggest appellation with 1650 hectares of vineyard rooted in granite and clay soils that helpfully absorb water and keep the vines cool, giving the fruit enough time to attain the balance that Crozes Hermitage Syrah, the phenomenon it is.
Roger Sabon, Cote Du Rhone 2020
Southern Rhone Syrah has been nurtured and honed by Domaine Roger Sabon to near perfection, the results of which crackle in this luscious Cote Du Rhone blend that includes Grenache and Cinsault. The Roger Sabon estate of 6 hectares sits in the southern side of the Cotes-du-Rhone appellation in proximity to prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A combination of sand and gravel soils yield fruit of concentrated flavour and acidity that convert to an equally wholesome wine with ripe fruit and bright character. This particular blend has been aged in oak and steel which allows the wine to take on barrel finesse while retaining juicy fruit character which is the hallmark of the south side of Cote Du Rhone. No wonder Robert Parker rates Roger Sabon pretty well.
Thelema, Shiraz 2017
South Africa take a unique stand on Syrah, dispensing with the binary of old or new world and instead straddles the fine line between both, marrying a traditional approach with modern oenological innovation, putting forth a style it calls its own. And nowhere does this style shine brighter than the Western Cape star region of Stellenbosch. The region enjoys a Mediterranean style climate – warm afternoon and nights cooled by oceanic winds – coupled with soils, similar in content to the Northern Rhone produce fruit of exemplary ripeness and good acidity. Our superb Stellenbosch red, the Thelema, Shiraz 2017 is a fine exemplar of the region’s distinct style. Thelema Mountain Vineyards’s owner cum winemaker Gyles Webb has vinified a sumptuous wine containing fruit from elevated vineyard, expressing rich notes of blackberry, plum and vanilla, laced with spice and cocoa, capped with splendid tannic length.
Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2020
Australia owns the Shiraz, not just with regard to naming rights but also a bold, ripe style that doesn’t apologise for muscular tannins and pushes the alcohol level to the limit. And it all comes together in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Soils of black and red clays with siliceous sands enable the vines to nurture fruit of sublime balance and concentration. And that’s what happens on the prized vineyard parcels of the Two Hands Wines estate in Marananga where the Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2020 gets made. This classic Barossa Shiraz abounds with rich flavours of raspberry and plum, mingling with black pepper, leading to fleshy tannins and impressive length. This dude nails the Aussie Shiraz style.
