Syrah: Origin, taste and characteristics

15 Jan 2023

Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines.

Whether sold as Syrah or Shiraz, these wines enjoy great popularity.

Syrah is used as a varietal and is also blended. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world’s 7th most grown grape at 142,600 hectares (352,000 acres).

Nowdays is the 6th largest grown grape.

DNA profiling in 1999 found Syrah to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza – father and Mondeuse Blanche- mother.

It seems that many of the legends of Syrah’s origins come from one of its many synonyms – Shiraz. Since there also is a city in Iran called Shiraz, where the famous Shirazi wine was produced,

some legends have claimed that the Syrah grape originated in Shiraz, and was brought to Rhône, which would make Syrah a local French synonym and Shiraz the proper name of the variety.

Syrah is a perfect for a wide and diverse array of wine and food pairings: is often the best wine for all types of roasted, grilled or smoked meat dishes like; duck, beef, veal, sausage, grilled meats, barbecue and chicken dishes.

It is perfect as well when paired with stewed meats or fishes.

You know when it starts feeling cold outisde, and you are craving some comfort food?

Well, Syrah will brings out the best of your dish! Even a classic American hamburgers or chesees, both soft and hard.

Syrah is a small, dark skinned berry that grows in small bunches. If you look closely, the grape takes on a shape that resembles an egg. The grape produces naturally high, but not too high, acidity and tannins.

International Syrah Day is celebrated on February 16th

So, drink up!

TECHNICAL DATA:

Syrah – Ampelography of the grape variety Each vine is characterized through ampelographic descriptors that define the appearance of its main elements.

The ampelographic characteristics of the Syrah vine are:

Characteristics of the leaf : The Syrah vine has medium, large, pentagonal, five-lobed and three-lobed leaves.

Characteristics of the bunch:  The Syrah vine has a medium, cylindrical, sparse bunch.

Characteristics of the grape:  The Syrah vine has medium, small, ovoid-shaped berries, with very pruinous skin, not very consistent and blue-black in colour.

PARAMETERS ENOCHEMISTS:

Sugars (° Brix) 22.5

PH 3.7

Total acidity (g/l) 4.3 B.C.

Tartaric acid (g/l) 5.79 B.C.

Malic (g/l) 1.4

Total anthocyanins (mg/l) 393

Total polyphenols (mg/l) 1,750

SENSORY ANALYSIS:

View

Excellent color intensity and shade with strong violet reflections.

Smell

Very good olfactory intensity with a good level of red/black berry fruit notes (blackberry,

plum, currant, black cherry) and, to a lesser extent, dried fruit. Spicy notes also emerge,

especially black pepper.

Taste

Round and well balanced, fairly high tannicity supported by a good structure.

General comment

Interesting clone for the good productivity associated with wines with excellent visual characteristics

and olfactory. It lends itself to medium ageing.

From a phytosanitary point of view, Ampelos DGV 12 is free from the main viral diseases

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