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Is interest in Syrah fading

I've begun to wonder what has happened to all the buzz about Syrah, that luscious red grape whose ancestral home is France's Northern Rhone Valley?

In the past decade, interest in Syrah has skyrocketed in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 200 different examples coming out of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

In Washington, Syrah is the No. 3 red wine grape with more than 9,300 tons crushed in 2007. The Umpqua and Rogue valleys in Southern Oregon have been ga-ga for the grape, drawing even the most stalwart Pinot Noir producers into the fold.

Yet, the excitement over this big, lovable grape seems to be waning. I'm not exactly sure why. Dan Berger, our resident curmudgeon columnist, thinks it has to do with too much Syrah on the market, thanks primarily to Australia but also to California and Washington. He reports that California Syrahs are growing dusty on store shelves. Dan's also concerned about the alcohol levels and prices with Syrah, both of which have begun to wear out wine drinkers.

On Thursday, I was out in a vineyard chatting with Charlie Hoppes, owner/winemaker of Fidelitas Wines on Red Mountain. He's about to bottle his 2006 Syrah, and that will be his last. He abandoned the grape in 2007 and has no plans to make more. Part of this is trying to scale back his product line-up, and part of it is his efforts to focus on Bordeaux varieties.

I have been a Syrah freak for the past half-decade, yet I find myself drinking less of it, partly because I'm drinking a lot more dry rosés and Rieslings. I'm also opening more blends, another hot trend in the Northwest.

Will Syrah go away? Doubtful, says Charlie. He thinks it has found a comfortable niche but will never surpass Merlot or Cab, as some thought just three years ago. In fact, Charlie thinks Malbec could be the new Syrah. The Bordeaux grape made famous in Argentina certainly is gaining interest with winemakers and consumers. However, with just 700 tons crushed in 2007 in Washington, it's about even with Sangiovese and behind even Pinot Noir. And it has a long ways to catch up with Cabernet Franc (2,700 tons).

It would seem that Washington, at least, is finding its personality with Bordeaux reds, as four of the top five grapes in that category this fall will be Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Two other Bordeaux reds, Petit Verdot and Carmenere, are visible but in tiny quantities.

By aperdue at Jul 11 2008 - 12:26am | grape varieties | red wine | aperdue's blog | 751 reads

Kiona Syrah won gold at Riverside Int Comp

Try Kiona's 03 Red Mountain Syrah. At $25 it is a good buy. It seeems odd that they would be selling this older wine but just buy it, drink it and enjoy. They made a tremendous amount of this wine expecting this grape to really take off. Well, it didn't take off like they thought but the consumer wins on this spicey, full bodied, big fruit wine.

By sincpa at Sun, 07/13/2008 - 7:35am | login or register to post comments

Syrah

My feelings/thoughts are right in line with Tim's. It was not my favorite bottle to have with a nice steak to begin with but I do still like a nice syrah. Saturday nigth at dinner someone brought an 04 Basel Cellars Syrah that certainly caught my attention but most of my wine is cab or merlot. Even my friends who were really into the Syrah movement the past few years have gravitated toward blends.
As for CA Syrah collecting dust on the shelves, I'll take note of that and pay attention on our trip there in a few weeks.

By mrstarbuck at Fri, 07/11/2008 - 12:39pm | login or register to post comments

Affordable quality syrahs

Looking for some really nice syrahs for the steak? Here are a few that are priced right and really deliver.....

First, Boomtown syrah, from Dusted Valley, is really a decent bottle for under $15. It is a junior version of their Stained Tooth syrah, and for the money, it kills!

Rulo's syrah, priced at $24, simply blows away many of the more expensive syrahs I have had from the Walla Walla area. It has that Walla Walla terroir shining through, and I would put it up against most of the more expensive California syrahs at twice the price without a second thought.

JLC does a few very nice syrahs as well. The Spofford Station, which is $40, is one I would spend the money on, but they also produce the Forgotten Hills syrah, priced at $28. It is sweet!

And, I can't forget about Barnard Griffin. Their current syrah (2005 or 2006), available at stores everywhere in the $15 to $18 range, is a great food wine. Nice acidity, brilliant fruit, not over the top, and very polished for the money. It does very well with a steak topped with bleu cheese, right off the grill.

I know there are lots more out there, but for my money, these bottles are well worth seeking out.

Now, if I could just get my hands on some Cayuse.......

Cheers!
Tim

By timinspokane at Fri, 07/11/2008 - 9:42pm | login or register to post comments

syrahs (and corn silage)

Good calls Tim, and speaking of Rulo, I think that they and others may be on to something with the syrah and cab sauv blends (the Rulo "syrca", for example).

On our most recent tour de Walla, the Buty blend of syrah and cab sauv was our pick of the tour, and I see at their web site that Hedges also is making a blend of these two.

And when I got home from the new Maison Bleue winery in Prosser the other day, I noticed that their "syrah" was about actually 69% syrah and 25% cab sauv (balance merlot), and though the winemaker called it a syrah in the tasting room, it's actually labelled a "red wine," as it would have to be by law, I believe, being less than 75% syrah.

I, also, picked up a bottle of the JLC Forgotten Hills (2003, and more than $28...), because it had an anaerobic aroma to it that reminded me of my work (anaerobic microbiology), and according to the winemaker, that quality comes from the soil, so I was intrigued.

And this is kind of off the subject except that "Rulo" was taken from the name of a corn silo, which adorns the Rulo bottles... I was second guessing myself that I was picking up corn silage aromas from a late harvest Roussanne that I opened recently, but a quick Google search turns up multiple references to corn silage aromas in wine. Corn silage is fermented corn stalks and ears (contented cows give sweet milk...)

By andyplymale at Fri, 07/11/2008 - 10:26pm | login or register to post comments

Syrahs

I, too, love syrahs. Admittedly, I haven't been buying as many of them due to two reasons: the price and the ever increasing alcohol levels. A nice Walla Walla syrah is typically in the $30 to $60 range, and the Red Mountain syrahs tend to be in the same general price range. When I get to the $35 price point, I find lots of great blends these days that simply bring more to the table for my palate. The same thing happened with my beloved zinfandels (Dry Creek Valley, mainly) several years back. They got "hot", and the price for the better bottles went from the $20 range to the $40 range. Plus, they have gotten higher and higher alcohol levels (many times well over 15%) and simply don't work as well with a rib steak.

I absolutely love syrahs, but at these prices, we simply have more options. Except for a few bottlings from a select few producers, syrah (in my opinion) just doesn't have the "status" or "cache'" of the Bordeaux varietals. And you are right, malbec is coming on strong! During our trip to Walla Walla for the Spring Release, we saw - and purchased - several. The quality is great, and the prices seem to be below most of the syrah market. And truthfully, we bought more merlot than anything else. The quality for the dollar is unmatched!

So a word to winemakers - we still love syrah! Get the alcohol levels in check (whatever happened to 13.5% ABV, let alone 14%!!??) and keep the prices reasonable. $30 doesn't bother me at all, but $40 to $50 will keep all but the very best bottles out of my cellar.

Cheers!
Tim

By timinspokane at Fri, 07/11/2008 - 9:25am | login or register to post comments

Is Syrah Fading?

Andy,
It would be a shame if Dan is correct about sales of Syrah slowing. We recently finished an extended road trip that included California, Eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Washington wine country, and I believe that the overall quality of Syrah has never been better. I also saw a lot of excitement from the winery folks as well as fellow tasting room patrons about Syrah. Whether this is translating into retail sales, I'm not sure, but I will be taking my own informal poll as I visit wine shops in coming weeks.
As far as Charlie Hoppes pulling out his Syrah on Red Mountain, my bet is he's doing that because Red Mountain is proving best for the Bordeaux varietals, and some other Washington AVAs are doing a little better job with Syrah.

By jsosnowy at Fri, 07/11/2008 - 8:26am | login or register to post comments

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