Lockdown level four is a necessity. South Africa has to break the infection spike. In Hartebeespoort dam, life is quiet. The town is sleeping, waiting for Covid to chill so that life can continue. The entire village of Harties is waiting to welcome you for a visit, overnight stay and winter activities. You can book in advance to secure your next trip once the lockdown eases to level three. In the meantime, let's talk about popping bottles of jammy red wine.
Let's talk about Shiraz wines.
This week the wine chat is all about the big and bold but balanced Shiraz wines.
Syrah, also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. In South Africa, Syrah is mostly called and labelled as Shiraz. Shiraz is very popular in South Africa and known for its spicy and full fruit characters.
The climate where the grapes are grown influences the style and flavour profile of wines made from Syrah. In moderate temperatures such as the northern Rhone Valley, the Syrah vines produce medium to full-bodied wines. The Northern Rhone Syrah has medium to high tannins and notes of blackberry, mint and black pepper.
In hot climates such as the Barossa Valley in Australia and wine regions in South Africa, Syrah is more fuller-bodied with softer tannins and jammier fruit. The wine has spice notes of liquorice, anise and earthy leather. In many wine regions, the acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allow the wines to have good ageing potential.
Syrah is used as a single varietal or as a blend. It can be found throughout the globe from France to New World wine regions such as Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, California and Washington.
Syrah Taste and flavours
Syrah red wine is robust, flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavour notes, depending on the grapes climate and soils. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries, usually dark berries, chocolate, and black pepper to spicey. Not one aroma is typical, though blackberry, coffee, and pepper dominate Syrah wines. With a bit of ageing time in the bottle, the primary flavours develop alongside earthy and savoury flavours like leather and truffle. Each winemaker's secondary flavour and aroma depend on the yeast treatment and the oak barrels used for ageing.
Syrah or Shiraz on labels
Almost all Australian and South African wines are labelled Shiraz, and most European wines are labelled Syrah. In other countries, winemakers and wine marketers sometimes choose either Syrah or Shiraz to specify the wines stylistic differences.
Syrah labelled wines are often more similar to classic Northern Rhône reds. Often, Syrah is elegant, tannic, smoke-flavoured with a balanced fruit component. Shiraz labelled wines resemble New World examples made from riper berries. Shiraz wines are fruit-driven, higher in alcohol, less tannic and peppery with subtle smoke aromas and fruity sweetness. Shiraz in South Africa often shows good ageing potential because of the bold fruits characters.
Shiraz in South Africa
South African Shiraz plantations have expanded significantly. In South Africa, the varietal is called Shiraz.
Shiraz expresses itself differently depending on the climate, soil and regional style, although the specific Shiraz characteristics remain.
Syrah is typically bold and full-bodied, with aromas of smoke, black fruit and pepper spice. Stylistically, it is rounded and fruity or dense and tannic. The grape varietal grows exceptionally well in South Africa's warm wine climate regions.
How does Syrah taste?
Syrah is a robust, dry, full-bodied, opaque wine with lively acidity, moderate-to-high alcohol levels and firm tannins. The alcohol ranges between 13 and 14.5 %.
How does the best Syrah taste?
It has various flavours of smoke, bacon, herbs, red and black fruits, white and black pepper, and floral violet notes. When winemakers age Syrah in oak, the wine takes on flavours of vanilla and baking spice. In general, Syrah is elegant, lean and savoury and Shiraz is robust and fruity. The stylistic difference is due to the climate and soil change between the cool climate Syrah and warm climate Shiraz.
How does Shiraz taste?
Wine drinkers that look for bold, full-bodied wines love Shiraz. The wines are ruby-purple and offer concentrated jammy aromas and red berry flavours with ripe tannins. Smokey meat notes like biltong and bacon combined with black pepper spice are present. Alcohol levels tend to be higher, 14–15.5% alcohol. Shiraz ages brilliantly in oak barrels to compliment the bold wine varietal flavours and aromas.
What is the colour of Syrah and Shiraz?
Syrah and Shiraz have a deep ruby-red to purple hue because of the dark red-skinned grapes. Youthful wines are inky and deep red. The colour of the wine will change with age.
Shiraz
Grape variety
Syrah, also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine.
Notable regions: Rhône wine region, Barossa Valley, California, South Africa
Origin:
France, Rhône wine region
The sweetness of Shiraz is Dry
Wine colour: Red Wine
Wine flavours:
Syrah presents a range of typical flavours from smoke, bacon, herbs, red and black fruits, white and black pepper to floral notes. Oak-aged Shiraz takes on flavours of vanilla and spice.
Syrah Winemaking Styles
There are four main blending compositions of Syrah:
- Varietal Syrah or Shiraz. Syrah is The style of Hermitage in the northern Rhône or New World Shiraz.
- Syrah blended with a small amount of Viognier. This is the Côte-Rôtie, northern Rhône style.
- Syrah blended equally with Cabernet Sauvignon, popular in the new world. The blend originated in Australia and known as Shiraz-Cabernet.
- Syrah, blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre is the traditional style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape of Southern Rhône. It is the iconic Rhone red blend.
Cellaring
Syrahs generally should be enjoyed while they're young.
The wine expresses a lot of fruit and wonderful bold aromas.
Due to the grapes high tannin and acid content, the wines are well suited to ageing in oak barrels. The ageing potential of Syrah red wines varies depending on the winemaking style and wine quality. Generally, you can comfortably age Syrah or Shiraz for five to ten years, while exceptional wines can age for twenty-five years or more.
Syrah Food Pairing
Pairing Syrah with Food
Syrah is generally a spicy, rich red wine. The wine varietal has solid and smooth tannins and coloured deep burgundy to purple. Shiraz gets its name from the city of Shiraz in Persia, known for its beauty. Syrah also blends well with Viognier, Marsanne, or Roussanne white grapes or Cabernet Sauvignon. These blends create a smoother balanced wine.
Syrah's Flavour Profile
Syrah has flavours of black cherry, black pepper, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, clove, liquorice, espresso and dark chocolate. To pair Syrah with food, consider all the flavours that will complement your food menu.
Syrah has olive-like flavours in France, and in the new world Shiraz style, you will taste blackberry and sweet tobacco. Despite the differences in regional flavours, the Syrah grape is excellent for food pairings.
Great Pairings with Syrah
Syrah and Shiraz pair very well with grilled meats, vegetables, wild game, and beef stew.
The following dishes are good choices:
Barbecue, especially spareribs
Braised beef
Cheese, especially aged hard cheeses like Gouda
Chicken, especially barbecued and braised
Duck
Grilled meats and vegetables
Hamburgers
Lamb, especially roast leg of lamb
Mushrooms
Osso Bucco
Pork
Sausage
Steaks and chops
Tuna, especially grilled or seared tuna
Veal
Venison
Pairings to Avoid when you drink Syrah
Seafood like sole, shrimp or lobster
Delicate dishes
Extremely sour dishes or acidic dishes
Syrah makes a fantastic tasty Beef glaze Reduction.
One of the best uses of Syrah with food is a demiglaze reduction. Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Shiraz Sauce.
Match Syrah to your Dish
Cool Climate Syrah
Match lighter Syrah wines with more delicate foods.
Cooler Climate Syrah with less oak ageing expresses fresh mouth-watering fruit flavours. The ideal pairing for a lighter Syrah wine is grilled lamb. The fruity, peppery wine pairs perfect with the meaty lamb flavours served with fresh mint.
Warm Climate Shiraz
Match bolder Shiraz with heartier food dishes. A bolder Shirah with new oak ageing offers a rich texture and sweet tannins. Full-bodied Shirah pairs perfect with hearty meat dishes. The wine complements the intense slow-roasted meat flavours. Oxtail, lamb, and barbecued meat spiced in pepper will enhance the fruity flavours of your Shiraz wine.
Syrah and Cheese Pairings
The best Syrah and cheese pairing will emphasize the tobacco notes in Shiraz and enhance the rich smokey cheese you choose. Syrah wine loves smokey cheeses.
How to Pair Cheese With Syrah Wines
Big and fruity, elegant or rustic, Syrah is a wine that loves cheese. Syrah is an excellent complement to cheeses with enough flavour and complexity in the wine. From a smokey blue cheese to an intense cheddar, here is a list of a few kinds of cheese to taste with your glass of Syrah.
Creamy and Smokey Blue Cheese Pairing
Fruity Syrah pairs best with creamy blue cheese and even better with smokey blue cheese. The smokey cheese has nutty flavours that pair well with the spice characters of Syrah wine. A smokey blue cheese served with meat is a delicious pairing with a bold fruity glass of Syrah.
Aged Gouda and Aged Goat Gouda Syrah Pairing
Aged Gouda becomes sweet with a caramelized finish complimenting the ripe berry flavours in Syrah. Aged goat gouda is also a match for Syrah wines.
Abbaye de Belloc and Syrah Pairing
Abbaye de Belloc is a sheep's milk cheese with a mild, nutty flavour. The nutty flavours in the cheese pair well with all styles of Syrah.
Aged Cheddar and Syrah Pairing
Aged cheddar has robust nutty flavours to complement the bold fruit-forward Syrah spicy notes.
Camembert and Syrah Pairing
The mushroomy characteristics of Camembert match the earthy notes in Syrah contrasted by the rich fruitiness in the wine. French Camembert is always a good choice with a glass of Syrah.
How should You serve Syrah or Shiraz?
Like all reds, Syrah has an ideal temperature range. Because of higher alcohol levels in the wine, you should serve the wine slightly chilled. If you serve Syrah too hot, the alcohol will taste hot and the flavours dull. Served too cold and the aromas and flavours mute.
The ideal temperature range to serve Syrah is fifteen degrees celsius, achieved after fifteen to twenty minutes of cooling in the refrigerator.
Top 25 South African Syrah wines right now
1
Harry Hartman Somesay Syrah 2019
Western Cape · South Africa
Average price R295.00
This wine is available from online merchants
2
Porseleinberg Red 2018
Swartland · South Africa
Average price R 690.00
This wine is available from online merchants
3
Old Road Wine Pepper Wind Limited Release Syrah 2017
Franschhoek · South Africa
Average price R390.00
This wine is available from online merchants
4
Boschendal Grande Syrah 2014
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 687.00
This wine is available from online merchants
5
De Trafford Syrah 393 2014
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 560.00
This wine is available from online merchants
6
Kleinood Tamboerskloof John Spicer Syrah 2013
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 750.00
This wine is available from online merchants
7
Hartenberg The Stork 2015
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 845.00
This wine is available from online merchants
8
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Shiraz 2016
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 447.00
This wine is available from online merchants
9
Damascene Cederberg Vineyards Syrah 2019
Cederberg · South Africa
Average price R660.00
This wine is available from online merchants
10
Rust En Vrede Single Vineyard Shiraz 2016
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 2,997.00
This wine is available from online merchants
11
Luddite Shiraz 2016
Bot River · South Africa
Average price R 725.00
This wine is available from online merchants
12
Mullineux Iron Syrah 2018
Swartland · South Africa
Average price R 1,050.00
This wine is available from online merchants
13
Annandale Shiraz 2005
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R430.00
This wine is available from online merchants
14
Stark-Condé Three Pines Syrah 2017
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 447.00
This wine is available from online merchants
15
Waterford Estate Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2016
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 322.00
This wine is available from online merchants
16
Damascene Stellenbosch Vineyards Syrah 2019
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 375.00
This wine is available from online merchants
17
Journey'sJourney's End The Cape Doctor Shiraz 2018
Stellenbosch · South Africa
Average price R 313.00
This wine is available from online merchants
18
Kershaw Syrah (Clonal Selection) 2017
Elgin · South Africa
Average price R690.00
This wine is available from online merchants
19
Robertson Winery Constitution Road Shiraz 2018
Robertson · South Africa
Average price R 329.00
This wine is available from online merchants
20
Kruger Family Reserve Shiraz 2016
Western Cape · South Africa
Average price R900.00
This wine is available from online merchants
21
Eagles'Eagles' Nest Shiraz 2015
Constantia · South Africa
Average price R 295.00
This wine is available from online merchants
22
BLANKbottle Little William 2019
Ceres · South Africa
Average price R315.00
This wine is available from online merchants
23
Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz 2016
Paarl · South Africa
Average price R 325.00
This wine is available from online merchants
24
Montpellier Shiraz 2014
Tulbagh · South Africa
Average price R245.00
This wine is available from online merchants
25
Ridgelands Syrah 2016
Elgin · South Africa
Average price R 285.00
This wine is available from online merchants
You can book in advance for your next trip to Mr C Harties. The wine cellar tasting experience is a delicious feast while you sip on your jammy wine. The entire team at Mr C is waiting to light the fire and welcome you for your first or next stay at Mr C Harties.
Contact Mr C Harties with a phone call or e-mail today to book.
Tel: +27 65 843 5238
E-mail: info@misterc.co.za