You Bet Shirazz

Hallett's Winery of Australia's Barossa Valley. McLean's Old Block Shiraz, is typical of the modern Aussie "shiraaaz" (or is that "shirazzz"?) with its big concentrated soft fruit style that slides effortlessly across and down your palate. While the origin of shiraz or syrah remains in doubt, most agree the variety was first planted in the Northern Rhone region by the Romans. It was the French who elevated the variety to that of a serious red wine. A noble grape capable of producing wines of great complexity, syrah grew to fame in the northern reaches of the Rhone Valley in the appellations of Cote Rotie and Hermitage. Dark and tannic, syrah (French style) is best known for its spicy and peppery qualities and its seemingly effortless ability to produce roasted, smoky, jammy, blackberry flavours that linger forever on the palate. Even so, if the French made this a serious wine the rest of the world is making it a fun wine. The Rhone Rangers, a loose knit group of California producers, are having a ball with syrah up and down the Central Coast. It is also showing up in such far-flung sites as the Columbia Valley, Washington, Mendoza, Argentina, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, Paarl South Africa and even in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. In many ways, renewed interest in Australian shiraz is more of a renaissance than a trend. For the unaware, shiraz is the grape upon which the legendary reputation of Penfolds Grange Hermitage was built, not to mention the regional fame of the Coonawarra, Barossa and Hunter valleys all before the late-1960s. The problem was for the next 30 years Australia's winemakers abandoned shiraz in favour of cabernet sauvignon. The plan was to profit from the sheen of international respectability that surrounded the great cabernet-based Bordeaux. Thankfully most Oz producers came to their senses by the early 1990s saving untold acres of old-vine shiraz and the race to produce a bigger and better red was underway. As if the variety needed any further validation, famed Austrian glassmaker Georg Riedel has given the grape its own glass. Riedel developed the glass between 1993 and 1995 following tastings in the major Syrah-growing regions, with many influential winemakers kindly contributing their views. "It is shaped to deliver the classic Syrah aromas of toast and black olives. On the palate, it brings out the wine's silky, velvety structure and balanced flavours. The tannins melt into the fruit, appearing sweet rather than acerbic on the back palate." But enough talk. The real appeal of shiraz or syrah is in drinking it. And as the weather begins to cool down across the nation what better wine to warm you up. Here's a quick alphabetical look at some of the more interesting syrah/shiraz sold in Canada. All prices are from B.C. which means with the possible exception of Quebec they will be cheaper everywhere else. WEEKEND WINE TASTING: Syrah-Shiraz 86 Chateau Val Joanis 1999 Syrah Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, France Fresh blackberry jam, meaty/gamey aromas with fine berry jam, earthy, spicy, raspberry flavours. Good fresh fruit style and well balanced. Great BBQ wine and fine value. $9.95 88 Errazuriz 1998 Syrah Don Maximiano Estate Aconcagua, Chile New from Chile is this deeply coloured red/purple wine with medium weight, blueberry, peppery fruit. A cooler vintage lowered the alcohol and power but it is a fine earthy peppery red with some complexity. $24.95 87 Fetzer 1997 Syrah California Expect a big fruity nose that jumps out of the glass with scents of figs, ripe rhubarb compote and cedar flavours. Fine length and persistent fruit in the finish. Perfect for duck. $19.95 88 Guigal 1996 Cotes du Rhone, Rhone Valley, France Gamy, licorice, spicy, smoky, blackberry jam aromas and flavours. Moderately rich with slightly dry tannins. Serve with a good barbecued steak or chicken and some roasted potatoes. $19.95 85 Lindemans 1998 Limestone Coast Shiraz Limestone Coast, South Australia Intense minty herbal roasted meat and sausage aromas. Pruny flavours with pepper and spice. Round, smooth and easy to sip. Simple straight-ahead shiraz. BC $14.95 86 Paul Jaboulet Aine 1998 Cotes du Rhone Parallele "45", France Youthful syrah nose with ripe blackberry jam, roasted pepper, spicy, mushroom and tar notes. Round and soft with ripe tannins and big earthy, licorice, blackberry and mushroom flavours. Fine value $16.95 89 Penfolds 1997 Bin 128 Shiraz Coonawarra, South Australia Bin 128 is aged in French oak only. The nose is a lovely mix of roasted pepper, blackberry fruit, with some meaty, coffee vanilla aromas. Fine, balance and length. BC $28 91 Penfolds 1995 Grange Hermitage Shiraz South Australia Excellent ruby cherry colour. Soft creamy vanilla fruit aromas of plum, blackberry, vanilla, pencil lead and pepper. The style is rich but not really over blown. Lots of plum flavours and that sheen of vanilla so prominent in young Grange. $176 90 Perold 1996 Paarl, South Africa Perold is South Africa's first "super" red wine made form the year's finest grapes. In 1996, the shiraz in Paarl was sensational so the fruit for Perold came from 30-year-old shiraz vines atop Paarl Mountain. The colour is dark and the nose highly polished with enticing vanilla spice highlights. Aromas of blackberries pepper and smoke precede a very dense fruity wine in the mouth that should age gracefully for a decade. $99.95 86 Tyrrell's 1997 Old Winery Shiraz South Australia The '97 Old Winery Shiraz is made from a blend of shiraz grown in the Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Expect tightly focused aromas of berries, cherries and charcoal and a rich, soft, berry flavours $15.95