Is Shiraz The New Merlot?

There is a scene in the recent hit movie Sideways where Miles and Jack are about to enter a restaurant and Miles shouts: "If anyone orders a freaking merlot, I'm out of there."

The point, in a movie that's all about pinot noir, is that merlot, once the great red hope, has become persona non grata among discerning wine drinkers who believe every example is dull and insipid.

Exaggeration, perhaps, but it is true that opportunistic producers who have planted merlot everywhere and grown far too many grapes have contributed to merlot's over-all reputation as a soft, insipid, virtually flavourless varietal wine.

If not every merlot is as bad as Miles would have us believe, the business of trends in wine remains a force. And there's no denying there is a large segment of wine producers who prefer to chase trends rather than set them.

A good example is the current syrah/shiraz market. As merlot headed down the mass-produced, flavourless path, the soft, spicy, fruity shiraz (some describe it as merlot with flavour) began to capture the interest of wine drinkers.

Australia was particularly well suited to turn out the supple, juicy red. It had plenty of dry-farmed old vines that could offer the world rich, flavourful varietal shiraz at very reasonable prices.

Alas, success begets success and the runaway demand for shiraz has seen more and more producers, eager to capitalize on the trend, planting thousands of acres of vineyards with shiraz. With the volume up and the age of the vines down, shiraz appears to be tracking down the same path as merlot -- only in this case, the young, indifferent shiraz are too acidic and too dry.

I am currently working my way through a large group of syrah/shiraz priced from $8.95 to well over $125 a bottle. Today I wanted to share with you six that have risen above the norm (under $20) and should be useful all summer around the barbecue.

The Los Cardos Syrah 2004 from Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina continues to deliver great value. Rustic spicy, gamey, sausage, peppery, black cherry aromas and flavours make this the ultimate steak wine.

With the amalgamation of Penfolds, Lindemans, Rosemount and Wolf Blass brands under the Foster's beer logo, things are looking good at the comparatively tiny family-owned Yalumba wine company, and the Oxford Landing Shiraz 2003 is a good example. At $13.99, this supple red with blackberry jam, plum, cedar, and spiced pudding flavours is a winner. Very solid value here.

There is a leathery, gamey nose you have to work by in the Bellingham Our Founder's Shiraz 2003 but after that, the Western Cape red with the licorice, black cherry jam flavours and some dry, grippy tannins is worth drinking. Far better in the mouth than the nose might suggest.

Cooked blackberry, spicy, tobacco, meaty, peppery, floral aromas make up the front end of a new fun label, Sunburnt Moose (Joose) Shiraz 2003. Boasting pepper, licorice, mineral, blackberry and smoky vanilla flavours, it will show best with grilled or barbecued meats.

You will notice the bright fruit in the Black Chook Shiraz Viognier 2004 that clearly benefits from the addition of viognier, which really lifts the fruit, and a screwcap that helps to retain it. It has a clean, spicy, peppery, floral nose with licorice, black cherry jam, vanilla, orange peel and ginger aromas. The palate is rich and soft with juicy fruit and light tannins and enticing pudding, black cherry, vanilla, cardamom, rootsy flavours. Well done.

What a delight to taste Oz shiraz that is ripe yet not over-extracted, and that's the case with the Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2001. The entry is soft and sweet with spicy black fruit undertones. The textures are sleek and the fruit from Padthaway, Clare, Langhorne Creek, Bordertown, McLaren Vale, Barossa and Coonawarra is perfectly melded into a blockbuster red.

Los Cardos Syrah 2004, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $13.95
UPC: 836950000032
Score: 86/100
Remarks: A super-value steak wine from Argentina.

Oxford Landing Shiraz 2003, South Australia
Price: $13.99
UPC: 089208300662
Score: 86/100
Remarks: Fine value with black fruit flavours and soft mid-palate textures.

Bellingham Our Founder's Shiraz 2003, Western Cape, South Africa
Price: $15.95
UPC: 6001506002820
Score: 86/100
Remarks: Meaty, gamey, licorice, black cherry jam and cedar flavours.

Sunburnt Moose (Joose) Shiraz 2003, Australia
Price: $18.95
UPC: 9333673000000
Score: 87/100
Remarks: Cooked blackberries and smoky vanilla flavours.

The Black Chook Shiraz Viognier 2004, South Australia
Price: $19.95
UPC: 9326215001849
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Spicy, pudding, black cherry, vanilla and cardamom.

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2001, South Eastern Australia
Price: $19.99
UPC: 9300727140517
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Spicy black fruit and sleek silky textures.