Australia and New Zealand obviously have their differences, namely whether we use the moniker syrah or shiraz. But one thing's for sure is that we agree on ... that this red wine style is delicious.
The Aussies call it Shiraz, but this side of the Tasman and everywhere else including its homeland France, it goes under the name of Syrah (rhymes with hurrah).
Syrah is noted for its mellow, full-bodied, blackcurrant fruit flavour and spicy black pepper aftertaste. Along with Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah is one of Kiwi's favourite red wine varieties.
The grape variety originates in the hot, stony soils of the Rhône Valley in southern France. The northern Rhône appellations include such labels as Côte-Rôtie and the famous Hermitage. Côte-Rôtie interestingly, translates to ‘roasted slope’, referring to the sun-baked hills where the grapes are grown.
Across the ditch
For a long time New Zealanders had Shiraz envy, thinking that because we didn’t have the hot, dry, extended summer and autumn months of South Australia, that our Kiwi version wouldn’t stand up in comparison.
Back in the early ’80s, Jacob’s Creek and other affordable Aussie labels mostly from the Barossa region led the charge into New Zealand with the bold Shiraz-style, converting a lot of former white wine drinkers to the red side – no dinner party or barbecue was complete without a few bottles of ‘Ocker Shiraz’.
The South Australian climate gives their abundant red grapes extended time on the vine, and consequently very ripe berries provide high-sugar and low-acid levels. This translates into full-bodied, highly alcoholic, rich and extremely drinkable reds, which often retail here for under $20.
Having said that, Australia’s ultra-premium Shiraz is Penfolds Grange Hermitage (which retails at around $600 to $1,000 a bottle, depending on the vintage year). Then again, if you’d like to go the whole hog, for French Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Ermitage you’ll be ponying up about $10,500. No, not a typo.
On home soil
Happily enough, over the past few years Syrah has emerged as a serious soft and mellow affordable premium New Zealand wine, which is doing very nicely right here, thank you very much. Syrah particularly favours the Hawke's Bay region where hot, dry summers, gravelly red metal soils and a lack of humidity promote a soft, spicy and earthy-flavoured wine from grapes that mature well ahead of our often hard-to-ripen Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hawkes Bay’s Gimblett Gravels region (the first in New Zealand to have its own appellation – a trademarked ‘G’ in a circle) appears to be the place to grow New Zealand Syrah at present, with almost 90 per cent of plantings found in the region.
Outside of Hawke's Bay, Matakana – which is an hour north of Auckland –produces some boutique Syrah (Omaha Bay, Providence, Ascension, Runner Duck) as does Northland (Marsden, Karikari). Waiheke Island yields high-end ripe Syrah (Mudbrick, Passage Rock, Obsidian, Man O’ War, Kennedy Point, Stonyridge) and there are also some very good examples from Martinborough (Kusuda, Dry River, Coney, Ata Rangi).
In summary, compared to the south Australian kick-down-drag-out style, Aotearoa's Syrah is soft and subtle with a silky blackcurrant/cherry palate, medium- to full-body, with characteristic peppery aftertaste.
