Ch10 Syrah & Grenache Flashcards
Syrah General Characteristics
Syrah in France / Shiraz in Australia
Small, thick dark coloured skins
Syrah Flavours and aromas
- Deep colour + Medium or High Tannin + Medium Acidity + Full Body
- Black fruit (blackberry) + Dark Chocolate
Syrah Climate
MODERATE CLIMATE
- Black fruit (blackberry) + Dark Chocolate + Herbaceous + Smoked Meat + Spice (black pepper)
HOT CLIMATE
- More sweet spices (liquorice)
DOES NOT ripen in cool climates
Syrah Ageing
Age = best wines develop animal + vegetal (leather, wet leaves, earth)
Syrah Oaked
Most undergo oak - either barrel or chips or staves = toast + smoke + vanilla + coconut
Grenache General Characteristics
- Garnacha in Spain
- Large, thick skinned, light in colour wines
Grenache Flavour and Aromas
- Very Full Body + High Sugar + Low Acid
- Red fruit (strawberry, raspberry) + Spice (white pepper, liquorice)
- With age = evolves into toffee + leather
Grenache Climate
Needs hot climate
Grenache Ageing
With age = evolves into toffee + leather
Syrah Grenache Blending
Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot (but easier to make 100% Syrah than 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Southern Rhone adds other wines eg Mourvedre and Cinsault add to character of wine (others just add to higher yields + cheap + easy to grow
Australia = Shiraz + Grenache = full body + fruity red + soft tannins + best served lightly chilled.
More serious wines = Full body + intense + complex
Serious Wines include other varieties eg Mataro = Mourvedre….GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre)
Grenache Adds?
Grenache = more alcohol + lower levels of tannins + acidity + red fruit + spice
Syrah Adds?
Syrah = boosts colour + tannin + acidity + dark fruit
Northern Rhone Regions
Cote Rotie
Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage
Northern Rhone Characteristics
- Classic region for Syrah
- Finest wines grown on steep terraces above Rhone
so narrow, can only be harvested by hand = expensive - Sunlight + good drainage
- Powerful, complex, age-worthy wines
Crozes-Hermitage
- Large appellation that’s flatter = less expensive - but less intense and less complex
- Black pepper + tannins + acids = like Syrah from moderate climates