WINE:It's Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia, but wherever it's grown, it can be very fine wine, writes John Wilson.
I HAVE BEEN asked to make a short address to a conference on the Shiraz grape. The expert group wants to know what we Irish think of their wines. In particular, they need to discover "the expectations of Irish consumers in terms of value, flavour and style". Any feedback you can give me would be gratefully received. You can be sure it will be filtered straight back to the men and women who make your wine. If you need any inspiration in making a selection, the four wines listed below offer four distinctly different styles.
It is often said that Pinot Noir works like a mirror, a perfect reflection of the soil and climate in which it is grown, changing from site to site, even if they are only 100m apart. Syrah may not be quite as sensitive, but to me the best examples show a real sense of origin. Syrah and Shiraz are one and the same, Syrah being the French name, Shiraz the Aussie. In other countries, both are used, usually to reflect the particular style of wine.
The first Shiraz vines were brought to Australia by James Busby in 1833. It excelled in the warm dry weather and soon became the most widely planted variety. The oldest Shiraz vines in the world, dating back to 1860, are in Tahbilk in Victoria. Ignore anyone who tells you Aussie Shiraz is boring - not only are there some great wines, but plenty of contrasting styles, too.
The best known are the hugely powerful, hedonistic fruit-bombs of the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale in South Australia. The other classic region is the Hunter Valley, where the term "sweaty saddles" was first dreamt up to describe the agricultural whiff of local Shiraz. These days, the wines are very different, light, elegant and cool, the polar opposite to the Barossa. In between, Victoria, Western Australia, the Adelaide Hills, the Yarra and Clare valleys all make their own version.
In its original home in the northern Rhône, Syrah varies from delicate and perfumed, with the most exquisite raspberry fruits, to more powerful and dry, with flavours of tar, liquorice and black pepper. I often find a very attractive savoury touch. The top wines, from Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas and Saint Joseph, can age magnificently. All are 100 per cent Syrah, although in Côte Rôtie, sometimes a little of the white grape Viognier is added to give perfume and further elegance. In the southern Rhône and the Languedoc, Syrah is usually blended with Grenache.
Other countries have joined in the act more recently; Spain and Argentina both have the hot climate in which Syrah seems to thrive, but it is Chile and South Africa that are beginning to show real potential.
- Brian Scott
"It would be interesting to know just how many wines I have tasted on the journey from Blue Nun to Barolo. I started, like many others, on Australian brands, but my interest in wine really flourished during visits to France and a spell living in Lyon where I came to love the wines of the Northern Rhône, particularly the great Syrahs of Côte Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas.
Over the years, I've tasted wines from countries as diverse as India and Mexico, and I really believe it pays to be adventurous, even if there are a few disappointments along the way. Wines such as old vine Carignan and Grenache from southern France or Spain can be tremendous value. McHugh's in Kilbarrack has the Coto de Hayas Campo de Borja 2000 made from 100-year-old Garnacha vines for €10.95. Portugal is a great source of interesting wines and unusual grape varieties. In Italy, the best Soave is a treat and South African Sauvignon Blanc gets better and better.
There are two wines that I have consistently enjoyed over the past few years. Les Terrasses, a Priorat from Catalunya in Spain, is a stunning blend of Garnacha, Cariñena and Cabernet Sauvignon. Priorat can be very expensive, so at €28.50 (Mitchells) this is fantastic quality for the price. Polish Hill Riesling is a wine to give to anybody who says that Australian wines are all either lacking character or overdone. It is a wonderfully pure expression of Riesling from a single high altitude vineyard in the Clare Valley in south Australia (€26.50, Fallon & Byrne).
I love cooking and because I can get quite obsessive, friends and my wife Orla tell me that I am too hard to please when it comes to restaurants. My favourites, and these have stood the test of time, are Eden, the Mermaid and lunch at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (a relative bargain in my opinion). If pushed, though, I would choose a couple of tasty dishes from the food hall at Fallon & Byrne and have them with a favourite bottle from the wine bar downstairs in the company of a few friends.
My food heaven is San Sebastián in Spain's Basque country. The pintxos (tapas) are of fantastic quality and at prices that would make an Irish restaurant owner blush!
Brian Scott is director of studies at the Language Centre of Ireland, and a lecturer for the Wine Board of Ireland
Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz 2006, Barossa Valley, Australia, 14.5%, €17.99Barossa Shiraz has become one of the great world classics; big and powerful, they are not for the faint of heart. This wine is a real bargain, offering the full-throttle richness of the Barossa at a very keen price. Oodles of ultra-ripe smooth plums, a sprinkling of sweet oak, and plenty of real power. Bring on the barbie. From: O'Brien's Wines Off-licences
Falernia Syrah Reserva 2004, Elqui Valley, Chile, 14%, €15.99Falernia is a relatively new producer, based in the Elqui valley, potentially one of the most exciting regions of Chile. The hot dry weather is tempered by cooling Pacific breezes, producing wines that are rich and powerful, but with a lovely cool touch. This has some spicy new oak to back up the rich dark fruits. Drink alongside grilled or roast red meats. From: Superquinn
La Motte Pierneef Organic Shiraz / Viognier 2005, Western Cape, South Africa, 13.5%, €19.99La Motte, based in Franschoek, make very good basic Sauvignon and Shiraz. Last year, they launched an organic single vineyard version of each. The Sauvignon is excellent, as is this wine, made with 91% Shiraz, blended in with 9% Viognier. When first opened, the subtle cool plum fruits were overawed by new oak; an hour later the oak had blown off, leaving the fruit in all its glory. From: Lynch of Glanmire; Martins, Fairview; Sweeneys, Glasnevin; Hollands, Bray; Gardenworks, Dunboyne; Wicklow Wine Company, Wicklow; Jus de vine, Portmarnock.
Syrah Les Hauts du Monteillet,
2005 Domaine du Monteillet, Vin du pays des Collines Rhodaniennes,
12%, €13.99
This wine, made from young vines in Côte Rôtie and
Saint Joseph, as well as a few planted in vineyards just outside
the appellations, is made exclusively for the Irish market. To me,
it represents amazing value, a mini-Saint Joseph, at a much cheaper
price. Light, smooth and clean with delectable savoury plums and
dark fruits. I love to drink it for a little mid-week treat, with
any red or white meat. From: Donnybrook Fair; The Mill, Maynooth;
On The Grapevine, Dalkey; The Vintry, Rathgar; The Drinks Store,
D7; Cases Beers, Wines & Spirits, Galway; Vanilla Grape,
Kenmare.
Following on from my recent article on wines from the Mâcon, several readers have asked me to list a few less expensive wines from the region. I am happy to do so now. I should also have mentioned that I enjoyed the wines of Domaine Comtes Lafon at a superb dinner in Ashford Castle, as part of their series of Winemaker dinners. These are events that should not be missed.
Mâcon Pierreclos 2006, Domaine Lapalus, 12.5%, €14.99Restrained, with elegant apple and pear fruits. Perfect with most fish dishes. From: Donnybrook Fair, Vanilla Grape, Kenmare; McCabes, Mount Merrion and Blackrock, Myles Creek, Co Mayo; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Uncorked, Rathfarnham.
Mâcon-Uchizy, Domaine Talmard 2006, 13.5%, €14.99One of the best value wines around - I adore the wonderful pure Chardonnay fruits and fresh notes of lemon.
From: Vanilla Grape, Kenmare; Beshoff's the Market; Donnybrook Fair; the Drinks Store, Manor Street; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; On the Grapevine, Dalkey and Booterstown.
Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse 2006 Domaine Chêne, 14%, €14.95A richer style, with lovely mouth-filling honey and ripe apple fruits. Perfect with chicken or fish in white sauces. From: Nectar Wines, Sandymount; Red Island Wine, Skerries; Bin No 9, Clonskeagh; Cheer's Santry; Market Fresh, Rathmines.
Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Chardonnay 2005, South Australia, 13.5%, €10-10.99Peter Lehmann is one of the most reliable names in Australian wines, at the lower level in particular. The Weighbridge Chardonnay is unwooded, with lovely rounded ripe melons and pears. Perfect on its own, even better with fish chicken and pork. Try it with chicken satay, or a stir-fry. From: Fairly widely available including Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; O'Neills, South Circular Road; Martha's Vineyard, Rathfarnham; Shiels, Dorset Street; Molloys; Gerry's Supermarket, Skerries.
Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Shiraz 2004, South Australia, 14.5%, €10-10.99Shiraz is probably what Lehmann does best, although the entire range is good. This is made from a blend of Barossa and grapes from other parts of South Australia. Smooth, easy ripe fruits, offering plenty of bangs per buck, this would go down nicely with grilled and barbecued pork, chicken and lamb. From: Fairly widely available including Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; O'Neills, South Circular Road; Martha's Vineyard, Rathfarnham; Shiels, Dorset Street; Molloys; Gerry's Supermarket, Skerries.