Thanks to Geoff and Fred for inviting me to post on this forum. (I do love sommeliers--literally, I'm married to one). And thanks for flattering me by the opportunity to engage a topic alongside Rod Smith, one of my very real inspirations in the world of writing.
So California Syrah has been a hot topic for me lately, especially since--perhaps a little late in the game--I got wind of how seriously it’s tanked in the market. The news was a surprise and left me in a grim, melancholy mood, a little like suddenly getting word that an old acquaintance is in the hospital, fighting caner. “Frank is sick? Really, Frank? Seems like it was the other day I saw him looking fit as a fiddle.”
But the reports of California Syrah’s demise are not greatly exaggerated. “It’s unsaleable,” one retailer told me. “Sommeliers won’t even taste it,” a producer moaned. Stories of large-scale re-grafting are rife. So what has happened to this grape that Matt Kramer once opined would be “the next really big red”?
Well, no doubt, stuff has happened and mistakes have been made since California winemakers started getting excited about Syrah 10-15 years ago. But I also ask myself if these errors don’t all pretty much stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of the grape. But before we get into that, let’s just detail five things that caused Syrah to tumble.
Syrah’s obviously been swallowed up by a perfect storm--not all its fault-- and we’re looking for the wreckage as we speak. But, in my mind, there’s a global misconception about Syrah, and a lot of this could have been avoided by having a more sophisticated understanding of the variety.
For one, Syrah is considered to be a wide-bandwidth sort of grape. That is, like Cab or Sauvignon Blanc, it can grow well and make acceptable wine in a number of climates. Um, no. I’ll come out and say it--hot climate Syrah just doesn’t work. (Yes, yes, people drank it up for years--but most kids I know would likewise eat gummy bears for every meal, if given the choice.) Syrah’s way more sensitive to alcohol than people are willing to admit (I end up “watering back” at home quite often); and the line between fine, fresh fruit flavors and jolly ranchers is drawn with a fine point, not a Sharpee. Cool-climate Syrah is obviously the way, but it’s not that simple: There’s a limit to how much feral wolf, wet dog, pepper spray and adhesive wrap I want in my wine; I still like to find a modicum of fruit (or maybe some violets) in a young wine, even if I have to search for it.
Syrah is also revered for making good wine at higher yields--2 tons to the acre or 6, some growers tell me you can’t really taste the difference in the final product. I have trouble believing this, but assuming it’s true, is this really a grape you want to be growing? Do you really want something so insensitive? Syrah tanked is because consumers couldn’t tell the difference between a $10 bottle and one that costs $40. Why? Poorly conceived, grown, and vinified Syrah produces nonsensical wine. Worse than nonsensical--few bad wines are as offensive as bad Syrah. Bandwagoners all over are discovering this the hard way. And the sea of bad wine has made things that much harder for people trying to
Here’s the fundamental misunderstanding: People think because Syrah’s growing spectrum is so broad that the likelihood of scoring a hit is high. The truth is just the opposite. “Drinkable” Syrah may be possible from Modesto to Philo, but it doesn’t make good or even great Syrah any more likely. Rather, great Syrah is a microscopic bullseye on a huge dartboard--it’s harder to find than great Pinot Noir, great Cab, maybe even great Nebbiolo. Look, the red wines of the Northern Rhone constitute only a tiny amount of wine (just 5% of total Rhone production), and even therein, the number of Syrahs I’d consider good-to-great are relatively few. It’s just not the forgiving grape that everyone made it out to be
And here's the kicker--Syrah has to be good. You see, unlike many wines, average Syrah cannot be drunk. Give me average something else if you have to. That balance between savory and fruit, acid and tannin, alcohol and concentration--so difficult to achieve--must be right on, a. And, while we’re seeing a few lovely Syrahs in the US finding those balances, we’re still a ways from anything consistently great on a wide scale. I’m hoping we get there, but am not holding my breath. It’s going to be awhile, especially since the last thing anyone’s doing right now is planting Syrah.
Right on, Andy. As Greg Harrington points out on the previous page, spoofilated syrah just hits a bunch of wrong notes.
Well you have heard my diatribes on this topic many a time, JMack, but for the sufferings of others, here are a few of them for pondering.
1. I believe - with complete bias but still honestly - that cool climate syrah in CA can achieve greatness to perhaps even exceed many great northern Rhone wines as we can achieve that balance between savory and fruit characteristics where the Rhone and hot climate syrah often swing too far out of balance in either direction. BUT it must be a cool climate vineyard and i mean cool, not cool-ish cause that is the thing to say. At our vineyard, one of the coolest growing syrah in CA, we get fewer degree days than the Rhone (heck fewer than Geisenheim and Champagne in 05) but have longer hang times and can sometimes get an extra 0.5-1.0 degree BRIX since we pick in late October and November since rains do not come and stay until November-ish. So we pick around 22 brix and get the meaty, peppery, leather elements while also having the floral and fruit notes. We avoid the gobs of fruit and alcohol that mar most new world efforts. That is the style of syrah that speaks to the soul and thanks to many on this site, we are able to sell what we make.
2. Viognier in Syrah. No need to blend in Viognier to create floral lift in CA Syrah, we get enough sunlight. Many Cote Rotie wines need it or the wines are too low in potential alcohol and are light on the palate. Viognier ripens 2-3 weeks earlier than syrah and in CR is inter-planted to they get free sugar to help fermentation, add weight and also add needed floral top notes to balance the low BRIX pepper and tar notes. I can almost always tell when someone blends in Viognier in a new world syrah. Sticks out like a sore thumb. You find that sommeliers? Is that a problem for you?
3. Any meat served rare or medium rare or, heck, even medium if folks are silly enough to order medium, should be served with cool climate syrah. Cool climate syrah has sanguine aromas of blood and iron with pepper that pair perfectly with rib eye and lamb. Cab? Not even my second choice for pairing those meats. Of course, many customers feel comfortable ordering their cab as they are at a steak house and need massive cabs to go with massive expense accounts and massive guts. But that is the job - and frankly the joy - of a caring sommelier; to steer them to what wine will give them the best experience with their food. For some, cool climate syrah will not maximize their pleasure. The best experience is getting a wine that they feel safe ordering or that impresses the guests or sates other unrequited carnal desires. Y'all are experts and can suss that out but I feel often times we may be too lazy to put our necks out and recommend a cool climate syrah that may actually enlighten and create a more memorable dining experience. If we go with syrah in a steak house, we recommend the dreaded fruit bomb Shiraz as it appeals to the same desires as a cab. Or maybe not, I am not on the floor every night so perhaps i should strike the "we."
4. Agreed on Rod and Jordan's observations on why syrah suffers due to consumer confusion due to the wide range of styles. People still say chardonnay can grow in all climates. I heard it the other day from a very well respected and experienced wine maker. Um, no, chardonnay does not make interesting wine in a hot climate unless spoofilated and then it is always a bit clunky or it makes soft, silky. fruity, alcoholic chardonnay that certina critics gush over. Winemakers like chardonnay because it is easily manipulated to make something to impress critics, but engaging, honest, soulful and therefore memorable chardonnay? Nah. Same goes for syrah.
5. Lastly, this syrah shake out is a painful but necessary development. Just as other varieties can not grow all over the world in any condition and produce excellent wine neither can syrah. In newer wine regions, this is how we find out what areas/vineyards truly make superlative wines. In the case of areas who are having trouble selling their syrah, keep exploring for the grape that makes that piece of terroir superior. Grenache likes heat. Tempranillo. Dare i say, sangiovese. Okay, i dare not, i remember selling the first few vintages of the God's Top wine in the mid nineties and it was not fun to drink or sell. But as the vines have aged those sangioveses are getting a little better?
Thanks for the comments. I sometimes wonder about the profile. While we love it, it seems like a real peppery, cool climate Syrah might be strange and even off-putting for some people. I think that really getting it right is tough--that balance of savory and fruit. But certainly, the preponderance of fruit-bomb Shiraz is not going to help people learn to comprehend a more classically Northern Rhone style.
Well said. Very well said. Having spent time in both "buyer" and "seller" realms, this information is spot on. I sold against a portfolio that had all the great Syrah names of the US. At the largest retailer in the Kansas City area, there were probably 8 - 10 domestic Syrahs on the shelf. Across the isle, 30 to 40 Australian Shiraz.
I love Syrah. I think, at the table, it's a flavor profile that most people are looking for. Alas, they still just buy California Cab.