The Homeland of Syrah

A half hour drive south from Lyon after the Rhone river makes a ninety-degree turn from its source in Switzerland toward Avignon and the Mediterranean, there lies a narrow strip of vineyard land where vines have grown since Roman times.  Sometime between then and now, ancient grape varieties were crossed to create Syrah, one of the world’s most expressive and enigmatic wine grapes. 

I was 43 years old when I first traveled to France for the purpose of visiting some of Kermit Lynch Imports’ finest estates to gain greater understanding.  A year earlier, my young wholesale company had just acquired the southern California distributor rights to the portfolio, which at the time was the most exciting and influential group of family-owned French wines in America.

I could write a whole book on this trip, the excitement of my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in person, visiting and dining with producers in Champagne, Alsace, Provence, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Burgundy. 

But on that visit chock full of personal "firsts", my most thrilling discovery was in the cramped, dirt-floor cellar at Domaine Jasmin in the northern Rhone.  Robert Jasmin was dipping his thief into a barrel of 1990 Côte-Rôtie, and splashed the inky, perfumed liquid into our glasses, awaiting our impressions.  The aroma in this wine was nothing I’d experienced before. 

To be honest, I didn’t have much of an opinion on Syrah; the first California varietal bottling didn’t even happen until Joseph Phelps’ 1974 vintage (his other wine that year was Insignia), and there were too few other Syrahs produced after that, grown in both warm and cool climates in California, to really form an opinion on the variety.  Inexpensive Australian Shiraz was gaining a foothold in the southern California market, I suspect as much for its $5.99 price as to any distinguishing varietal character.

But in Jasmin’s cellar, this was something else.  The perfume couldn’t really be described.  Blueberries, violets, a touch of smoke, bacon.  These are all buzzwords for Northern Rhone Syrah, and maybe they all applied here.  All I know is that aroma brought out something primal in me.  And the promise was realized in the silky texture and otherworldly flavor when I sipped it.  It had an imprint so indelible, that any Syrah I encountered since then had to reach that high bar to be acceptable to me.

On that cold January day we also visited Cote-Rotie legends Rene Rostaing, and Gentaz-Dervieux; the day before, Gerard Chave of Hermitage fame and Cornas producer Auguste Clape, all who produced glorious wines from Syrah.  But there was something magical in my stained glass at Jasmin.  I was imprinted for life.  I got Syrah.

Understanding Northern Rhone

Since the Northern Rhone is a small area—it is narrow and stretches just 50 or so miles between Vienne and Valence along the Rhone River.  Unlike the southern Rhone, all red wines are made exclusively from Syrah—it’s the law, with one exception—Côte-Rôtie--where up to 20% Viognier may be added.  (Viognier, nearly extinct until a handful of American vintners discovered it in the 1970s and 80s, also cites its origins in the Northern Rhone.)  Also unlike the more temperate Mediterranean climate of the Southern Rhone, the Northern strip is in the cooler Continental climate.  It snowed that January night in Côte-Rôtie.

The mighty hill of Hermitage is the top dog of the Northern Rhone, expensive, towering wines that add prestige to any wine collector’s cellar.  A tiny amount of wine is made there, and worldwide demand has made these wines expensive and rare.  The Hermitage hill is a site to behold, visible from the river.  For older Syrah, Hermitage is without peer. 

In terms of collectability, Côte-Rôtie is a close second.  There has always been a debate whether Côte-Rôtie loses its magic after 10 years in the cellar, perhaps due to the loss of Viognier perfume. I personally find younger Côte-Rôties irresistible, so I have little experience with older versions.  The steep hillsides of Côte-Rôtie--in subregions Cote Blonde and Cote Brune are breathtaking, with grape-staked vines soaring to the heavens.  I can only imagine how hard it must be to tend these vines and harvest them each fall.  I think about that every time I have the privilege of drinking one.

A little further down the Syrah hierarchy is Cornas.  Jancis Robinson was once a critic of the appellation, citing its relative rusticity.  But my experience with Cornas—having worked with its top producers—is quite different.  Although high prices make enjoying Clape, Allemand and Verset Cornas rare luxuries these days, it is worth the money for the deeply saturated Syrahs grown there, especially when dining with a rack of lamb.

The long, slender appellation of Saint-Joseph produces many good wines, at prices we can afford more readily.  Many of the vineyards are on hillside slopes with good sun exposure, and some of the wines offer a resemblance of the Côte-Rôtie magic I first experienced in 1992.

Crozes-Hermitage, all too often confused with Hermitage, is an appellation across the river from the storied hillside.  The land is flat with some rolling slopes, and the quality is all over the map.  We try to select wisely in Crozes.

There are Syrah bargains to be found in the Northern Rhone.  They may have a sub-appellation Collines de Rhodaniennes or simply Cotes-du-Rhone.  If the Cotes-du-Rhone address is in the Northern Rhone, it is likely that Syrah will be the dominant player rather than Grenache as in the Southern Rhone.  Some are labeled simply “Syrah”, and could be grown just a hundred meters away from the borderlines of established appellations.  These wines, along with St. Joseph and Crozes Hermitage, would be good places to start exploring the character of Northern Rhone before you start shelling out the big bucks for a superstar producer from a superstar appellation.  I get a lot of enjoyment out of the St. Josephs of Verzier, both under $40.  If these more modest wines intrigue you, then the wines of Cornas, Cote-Rotie and Hermitage may be calling your name soon.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rare white wines of the Northern Rhone, which make up only ten percent of the region’s production.  Marsanne is the main player, with Roussanne in support.  The tiny appellation of Condrieu is the birthplace of Viognier, and as I mentioned earlier, was down to about 20 acres of the variety before being “discovered” by John Alban and other California Rhone Rangers in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

I hope you explore the Syrahs of Northern Rhone to help you develop an understanding of the variety.  Once you do, you may become a more critical consumer of Syrahs from other places, as I’ve been.

You see, I’ve been spoiled.

YOU CAN VISIT OUR SELECTION OF RHONE VALLEY WINES BY CLICKING HERE