Syrah Surprises - Unexpected Discoveries and Disappointments
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
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I use this wine key: Forge de Laguiole Ebony
I have used this glass in this Video: Nude Stem Zero Powerful Reds
I have tasted the following wines in this Video:
2020 Vinedos de Alcohuaz 'Tococo de Alcohuaz' Syrah, Elqui Valley, Chile
www.wine-searc...
2020 Stefano Amerighi Syrah Cortona, Tuscany, Italy
www.wine-searc...
2017 Gramercy Cellars Les Collines Block 50 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA
www.wine-searc...
2010 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz, South Australia
www.wine-searc...
2008 The Ojai Vineyard Syrah, Santa Barbara County, USA
www.wine-searc...
2001 Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde, Rhone, France
www.wine-searc...
The 100 Point Scoring System (from www.robertparker.com):
96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase and consume.
90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.
80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.
70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
60 - 69: A below-average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable.
Syrah has a long history and the most common place associated with the grape is Hermitage in the northern Rhône. The wines from Hermitage are so famous for their quality that they were used to add body and concentration to Bordeaux wines. This process was commonly referred to as Hermitagé.
The name might suggest that the variety comes from the Persian town Shiraz, located today in not-so-wine-friendly Iran, or maybe from Syracuse in Sicily
Today we know, however, that it is great-grandchild of Pinot and the offspring of little-known varietals Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza.
That "ShiRAZ Mate" was hilarious. thank you for that.
As an Aussie who has 5 out of his 6 bottles of 2010 tucked away in the cellar, I was absolutely stoked to see this reviewed on the channel! Love your work, go Aussie!
You may already know this but it was a frenchman, Leon Mazure, who created the original St Henri claret, as it was called then, on his Auldana vineyard in McLaren Vale, South Australia. He also created one of the first Sparkling Syrahs (Shiraz) in Australia which is somewhat a unique wine in Australian viticulture. Although Penfolds took over the Auldana vineyard, the legacy of Leon continues to this day with what I consider to the best valued Shiraz in Australia, because of its complexity and ageing ability. Thank you Konstantin for showing all the different wines from many countries. I will have to seek out the Italian syrah from Cortona and the Chilean syrah from Elqui Valley....if I can find them!
Same here. So far I have found a wine shop here in Denmark who has the chile Syrah. Not insanely priced. 220 Danish kroner which is around 30$.i have to try.
Same here. So far I have found a wine shop here in Denmark who has the chile Syrah. Not insanely priced. 220 Danish kroner which is around 30$.i have to try.
Penfolds St Henri is the wine that got me into wine originally!!
Your pronunciation is way better than most American wine experts on CZcams.
Because he's German?
John Alban makes outstanding Syrahs in the Edna Valley of California. Rich, hedonistic, but balanced. This was another excellent review, Konstantin! Cheers 🥂
Nice to see some international praise for the Aussie Shirraz. Many Australian winemakers are calling their Shiraz 'Syrah' now, to indicate more freshness and restraint as a departure from the Penfolds style of very ripe, toasted oak bombs.
Cortona Shiraz is incredible combined with a 300 bc wall around a beautiful village and an incredible view on Tuscany.
I’m enjoying Syrah more and more as I discover its diversity. It’s done quite well in the Okanagan valley in Canada where it often takes on an herbal sage quality. It’s also commonly blended with Cab, Merlot, etc. to make ‘Super Okanagans,’ our answer to Super Tuscans.
Excellent video as always. Syrah is like pinot noir for me, in that when it’s mediocre it’s really mediocre, but when it’s well made it can be sublime. And so interesting how many styles it can be made raging from tannic fruit and pepper bombs to delicate floral expressions.
As someone from Washington state, in the wine industry and who also loves Syrah, this awesome to see. Thanks for shedding light to lesser known regions and making great wine content!
Many great examples from South Africa. Try the "standard" labels from Mullineux, Keermont, Reyneke, Savage. Also some great stuff from less prominent producers like Brunia, Scions of Sinai, Wolf & Woman and many more.
Some from SA are truly world class IMO, at the level of Hermitage etc. Porseleinberg, Rall AVA comes to mind...
My favorite is Luddite
Hawke’s Bay in NZ is making some very serious Syrah. Have you ever tried Church Road? Very serious! Beautiful aromatics.
A hidden gem, especially for Syrah, is the Swiss region of Valais. Extremely steep, mountainous terrain and a very dry, sunny climate seem to work well for this variety.
Swiss wines are so unavailable unfortunately, unless you are in Switzerland. I believe 1% of the country's production is exported and most of that is to Germany. I love Swiss Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir as well as indigenous varieties like Petite Arvin.
You are the only wine channel that I watch. Every time I experiment with other channels they disappoint. I do still like to watch Floyd Uncorked with Pedley out of feelings of nostalgia but your blind tastings are both entertaining and informative. I watch them repeatedly. Thanks for your time and effort in making the vids.
Great fan of Keith's
But as I've had a few slurps tonight, I will reply to you properly tomorrow.
I love watching all the old Floyd episodes especially Uncorked with Johnathon Pedley, I like this channel too. Have a look at Pete's pans his cooking shows ae excellent and clearly inspired by Keith.
I think it would really be nice for you to have a video on Chablis. I don't think you have ever discussed this great chardonnay region from northern Burgundy. High quality Chablis can offer tremendous value compared to the white Burgundies of the Cote de Beaune, such as Montrachet and Meursault. I think the best wine I have ever tasted was a Grand Cru Chablis.
Love Chablis and agree that Konstantin should definitely review…
Konstantin! I think it would be a tremendous improvement if you put the scores you give the wines next the links in the description, just a nice detail you know. Makes it easier when I shop so I dont have to replay the video over and over
Hey Leon, thanks for picking such interesting stuff. We all know you are behind the scenes making Baum look good, and he is, but your wine choices are essential.
Thanks James!
The first Syrah (Shiraz) I drank was in the 1980's and was from Australia's Hunter River Valley. I fell in love then and still to this day savor a great Aussie bottle.
2010 st henri is hands down best wine I have ever had! Thanks for reviewing it!
There’s a new winemaker in Santa Barbara California making beautiful Syrahs! From your first sip you’ll know it is special. Terre et Sang.
I would love to see a tasting of emerging wine regions, such as Japan, Eastern Europe, and Texas and Virginia in the US.
Fun story... back in my wine rep days I was offered a 24 pk of 375ml 1998 St Henri Shiraz. Not realizing this was going to be the best vintage in years, I drank them all in about a year. Incredible....
A few years later, I got to meet Peter Gago. He brought a bottle of 1998 St Henri to share with the sales force. He went on and on how this wine was worth saving for 2-4 decades.... imagine my reaction.
🤣
Yes come and see us in Chile - lots of Syrah and other things. (Pssst: old vines)
New Zealand Syrah has always really impressed me
Good show. Nice to get an Aussie win 🏆. Max Schubert, yes, the German influence on Australia 🇦🇺 n wine 🍷. Good show, thanks 🙏
So many good Australian Shiraz, Victoria has beautiful expressions including Uarra Yering Underhill, in the Barossa, Standish Wine Company make wonderful wines.
Watch for some great southern names really coming into prominence, Picardy, Plantagenet and Swinney are pumping out some incredible Shiraz and are slowly coming into prominence in the wider Aus market :)
@@OrionMetallicaGo Frankland River!
Very cool to see Amerighi in there. We sell a ton of it where I work in San Francisco. It’s one of my all time favorites when we have it around. Leon really knows his stuff.
Next time you’re looking at Syrah see if you can find the TOM Syrah from Church Road Vineyard in New Zealand. Excellent wine!
Great tasting Konstantin! Aged St Henri is usually an awesome wine.
In Deutschland machen die mittlerweile auch richtig gute syrah.
Rhodter Klosterpfad Syrah
Stefan Meyer
Eine absolute Granate, für den Preis und eine Augenweide im Glas.
Hi, great Tasting and I really appreciate your honest Ratings here. But it had been interesting to see your Rating of another Shiraz from Australia next to Penfolds like Ben Glaetzers Amon-Ra and / or Dan Standishs Shiraz. So another Round of Syrah / Shiraz tasting - maybe then also with an Italian One from Alessandro Tenimenti ? :-)
Cortona Syrah are amazing! Also Syrah mixed with Sangiovese in Toscana makes for some great wines!
I have been living in Germany for 8 years and the way you pronounce Syrah is completely valid for me now 😅
The Chile sounds exciting snd the Rotie a real shame! I love Duncan Savage Syrah from South Africa and a good Crozes Hermitage also
Syrah is one off my all time favorites. I really loved in the last year the 2019 Guy Farge St. Joseph Terroir de Granit as well as the 2019 Viña Santa Rita Syrah Medalla Real Gran Reserva.
Big, big fan of Stefano’s wine! Love you reviewed it.
As a proud Aussie, thanks for reviewing the St Henri. I'm sure it deserved every one of the 98 points you scored it!
Thanks for another great video!
I live down in the Corbieres region, just a few km from La Clape, so we do have a lot of Syrah in the vineyards around here; but it's mostly blended with Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan. I've always been a fan of the luscious, bold reds from this region - but there's something very special with the more sophisticated northern Rhone Syrahs that does appeal a lot to me. Watching this video just made me wanting to order Syrah from all over the word - but unfortunately it is a bit difficult and very expensive in comparison to the French stuff.
Given the fact that I live down in the "dirty south" and that this is one of the most exciting regions in the old world for the past 10 years (yeah sure, I'm bias) I would love to see you taste some great wine from Languedoc-Roussillon. Could also be interesting given that a lot of stuff here has a really high QPR.
Thanks again, An keep up the great work 💪🍷
Grampians region (Victoria, Australia) is a stand out for Shiraz/Syrah, though any decent one needs a bit of time in bottle.
Though I don't know Syrah as well as other varietals, I have recently started learning about it and delving into its many regions. I really like your presentation of Syrah from around the planet, as it really has interesting characteristics depending on region. In blinds, I am always searching for the markers of black olive and black pepper to give me a clue. The best I've ever had was 1998 Jaboulet "La Chapelle" Hermitage when it was 21 years old. Jaboulet is probably my favorite producer in northern Rhone. Simply sublime
Brilliant review , the Italian was a shock .Enjoy your presentations so much - humour and not condescending.
Just finished a great Hermitage with Sunday roast! My wife bought me the corkscrew you use for Christmas. Had no idea a corkscrew could be sooooo good. Game changer.
What is it?
I used to work for Penfolds at the cellar door - St Henri was always one of my favourites. Minimal oak, aged in massive old French oak tanks and so just a great counterpoint to the Grange in new American oak. For me, a cult classic and 2010 is probably the greatest vintage to date - still way too early to drink, even from the demi! Amazing. As a side note, I wonder if comparing Syrah from vastly different vintages introduces the outlier of maturation as a confounding variable.. I would love to see a video comparing certain wines, both in their youth and in their ideal drinking window. Love your content, excellent delivery!
Great review. More Australian wines please!
When I was young I was invited to a "chef's table" at the hospital at which I was working (in Australia - this was in the 1990s). It was done every month as a reward to recognise people. The first of these I attended featured the St Henri ! I wasn't particularly into wine at that young age, but I was after drinking that wine!
Always thx for your specific descriptions! Always Educational and Exciting at the same time! Expecting other grape varieties in the future. Cheers
In Paso Robles, CA Calcareous has a Syrah "Moose" that is absolutely incredible. The winery blends in a touch of Petit Verdot. The first time I tasted it a few years ago, the first things out of my mouth were "blueberries and salami." The wine maker laughed and agreed with me. Of course, it's much more complex than that, but that was the immediate observation when I tasted it. Every time I go to Paso(my home away from home), I try to stop there and get a bottle, or at least taste. Now that I'm retired, my budget is a little bit more fussy, but I still love to taste that Syrah.
And regarding Au Bon Climat. Their Burgundian varietals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, are wonderful. They will also have a well aged Nebbiolo available from time to time which is also surprisingly good.
RIP Jim Clendenen, who passed in 2021.
Noch mal eine solides video, Konstantin! So vile gute Syrahs, vielleicht muss ich mehr Syrah probiren. :) Danke für den Einblick!
Thanks for another amazing video. I always love the content and lovey Syrah wines. After watching this I really want to try and source that Penfolds St. Henri bottle. What amazes me is how brave you are to do a Syrah review with near white chore coat [ecru?] and not spill a single drop on it. Such a pro!
I've 6 of the 2014 St Henri in bond. I'll let them sleep for a few more years I think.
A slightly more humble 2020 South African syrah for me this evening though.
Syrah, hands down my favorite variety.
My best Syrah ever was the 2013 Frenchman’s hill estate rock earth Syrah, Waiheke island, New Zealand. The producer is quite focused on Syrah and Produces several different Syrah’s coming from different locations on the island showcasing the different terroirs present here. Great winemaker that learned his skills in France, Hungary and Moldova.
As an Australian of course I love shiraz, but I noticed you did miss a major syrah region: Hawke's Bay New Zealand! Also known for chardonnay but they have fantastic syrah as well, particularly Craggy Range and Church Road.
Don't forget Trinity Hill!
Great Video. I love Syrah. Grew up on Aussie Shiraz in the 90's. But how could you miss out the best up and coming Syrah region of the Cape in South Africa?
So frustrating to hear about so many wonderful syrah and to not have access to such wines because we live in the draconian-controlled wine environment of Ontario, Canada
I think this might be the highest aggregate rating for the whole slate of one of your tastings, Konstantin (and Leon). Except for the Ojai, which sounds like a turned wine. I don’t buy aged wines from most retailers, for the reasons you stated for the Ojai. Great video, wish I was there!
Great video! Would be cool also to have you look at some Viognier bottles
Was nervously holding my breath waiting for your thoughts on the St Henri. Probably biased, as it is my favourite wine, but absolutely agree with your review. It's always a cracking bottle of plonk. Cheers
Thank you, Leon, for including the Gramercy Cellars Syrah from Walla Walla. Washington is one of the most underappreciated wine regions.
Thank you so much for this video. Super helpful and well-presented. Your time and effort is most appreciated!
Shared a 2010 Penfolds McGill Estate at the end of last year, old vine single site situated next to the brands cellar door in the outer suburbs of Adelaide, less concentrated St Henri, super elegant with a nice savoury edge - 2010 was an outstanding vintage for South Australia
I’m happy that you picked a Chilean representative, one that I know to be delicious, and that it scored well. If you’re ever coming to Chile give me a call, I’ll be happy to drive you around the Central Valleys at least!
Great stuff as always. Interesting line-up! I missed south africa. Mullineux har an amazing range syrah in my opinion. 👍
Ich habe bereits deine "beinahe Kaufempfehlung" von Stefano Amerighi Syrah Cortona geordert und heute in Empfang genommen.😊
Loving these variety specific deep dives. Your knowledge and tasting ability provides great content! Hope you keep it up and cover other varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel/Tinto, Sicilian varieties,
Interesting point to note with St Henri. It is actually matured in very large, 50 year old oak vats (around 1500 litres), so has almost zero oak influence. The reason you are getting the eucalyptus is because there is a small amount of Cabernet added to St Henri. Eucalyptus is a common flavour profile in Australian cabernet.
i've tried a few gramercy cellars offerings, i remember their cabernet sauvignon was good, blue fruit and cool climate
I know it's strange to hear/read but recently we, here in Brazil, are having excellent Syrah from many regions, specially from southern Minas Gerais. I also know they're quit difficult to reach even for us but, you know, it's always good to meet new wine regions!
At a more affordable price, I've always loved Penfold's Kalimna
Would have been interesting to include a German Syrah, like Rings. But super nice review, you explain all the details so well!!
This is another great video from you @Konstantin Baum - Master of Wine. I loves those Syrah from the northern Rhone, Cote Rotie and Hermitage, I am quite fond on Paul Jaboulet Annie's la Chapelle Hermitage. But recently tried some great Aussie Shiraz too ,from Henschke. Very lucky to have tried their 2018 Mount Edelstone and it was packed with characters and flavours but yet silky and elegant. Would like to know your thoughts on their Hill of Grace if you have tried it. Thank you very much again for these educational videos!
A wonderful video. I'm very glad you didn't rate the oxidised wine. I had a bottle of Hermitage for my birthday and it was pretty disappointing next to some other wines I drank. I can't remember much after that. This is the end of dry January for me so I am looking forward to indulging again in my favourite hobby. Syrah later dude!
VERY VERY well done video !! max informative and interesting !!!! GRACIAS !!!! side note...the first time my eyes opened wide (really wide ) was from my first try aussie 98 shiraz tried by chance in 2000. OMG .
Would love to see video of port tastings! Keep up the great work!
Nice video! I love Syrah... now importing Syrah based wines from different parts of Italy - from Tuscany in the region of San Casciano di Val di Pesa (Chianti Classico area) and Sicily! :-)
Oh my! Thank you so much for explaining grippy for everyone! You're fantastic! By the way, I have two bottles of Penfolds shiraz 2001. I think it's about time to open one to see how it tastes. I've had it for a while so it is time.
Much better pronunciation! Thanks Konstantin for the awesome content. I also loved your Kabinett video too. Learned so much
A showcase on South American wine would be great. My buddy deals with wine yeast in Mendoza and has a vineyard.
The best Syrah/Shiraz I drank from Australia (Fox Creek, Best's Great Western), especially Barossa (Kalleske, Dutschke, Gibson, Rockford, Schild Estate), Rhone (Guigal, Tardieu-Laurent, Gerin), Washington State (Charles Smith) amd California (Kongsgaard, Alban Vineyard, Morlet).
The perfect (100 point) wines were:
Charles Smith 2008 Royal City Syrah
Kongsgaard 2016 Syrah
The are already some great Syrah from Germany (Knipser, Rings, Martin Waßmer, Salwey, Ziereisen).
Pity it wasn't a Chave or top end Chapoutier Hermitage flying the flag for France but I'm really interested to try the Stefano Amerighi. Great video as always
I truly recommend you this syrah: Bodega Inurrieta, Puro Vicio, one of the best syrah I ever tasted 👌
I love that Chilean one you started with. Their 2018 blew me away
I have to try to find it.
Love your videos man! Just as a tiny hint: in American English we usually say something is "14% alcohol" as opposed to "14% of alcohol"
Your pronunciation of words in english is a million times better than ours in german ! Keep up thr great videos. Really love the deep dive into grapes and regions. Taurasi and aglianico would be an interesting one
My favourite Syrah is Montes Folly from Chile, they have outstanding Syrah out there. Also loved a bottle I tried recently of Martins Vineyards from McLaren Vale in Australia. Cheers!
I’m just happy that you’re doing these videos in English you pronounce things anyway you want. Keep up the good work. Interesting, I’ve never tasted pepper in association with Syrah Also, I think cilantro, taste like soap.
Great episode. I'm always learning something new from your videos. Much appreciated. Now time to do some syrah-ious drinking.
Superb review as always. WT
I ordered a 6-pack of the Tuscany based on your review here. An extraordinary wine for under 40 is sure something.
Enjoy!
Just today I had Syrah and it was delicious. 100% Syrah reserva from Chile and it costs around 15 dollars, so good for it's price, wine called Aves del sur, rly like it and gonna buy it again for sure
Video Suggestion: Mentioning the aging profile of syrah was really interesting. Bordeaux seems to have a certain window where it is kind of muted too. I think a video about the aging characteristics of different grape varietys and wine styles would be very interesting.
How long to age a good bottle of wine is a moving target as every winemaker seems to be making their wines to be more drinkable at younger ages. It used to be that good Bordeaux was figured to need 15 years, more or less. Now Jancis Robinson is recommending 10 years from vintage. Is that an average or is she just talking about the good bottles? Good bottles I think.
Clos des Nines, cuvée O3, 2015😍 Languedoc is for me the new Eldorado for Syrah.
I will have to look for it.
Another great video. I love the Shafer Relentless Syrah from Napa and also the Casa Madero Gran Reserva Shiraz from Valle de Parras, Mexico. I've not loved N Rhone Syrah's. I'm thirsty!
BTW, there are some great Syrah wines in South Africa. Raats has a range of wines from various soil types.
Rebel Rebel from Stellenbosch is very nice. I’ve had a couple of bottles from my independent wine shop in London.
At least out here in CA I can say that our shop has gotten some library Ojai releases not that long ago and some of which I believe went back as far as 09 for some of their Pinots. The price on them was still crazy low (~$50 retail) and they were for sure stored properly by the winery. It's unfortunate you got a dud :( Please keep showing the extreme QPR for most Syrah! If you have yet to taste the Piedrasassi Syrah I'd highly recommend giving some of those a shot.
A fun one to try, if you can find it, is Cambridge Road 'Forest Born' Syrah from Martinborough, New Zealand (although the syrah grapes may come from Hawke's Bay). Aged in New Zealand-native kauri barrels. Blows me away. Waiheke Island, near Auckland, also has some excellent syrahs.
Thank you for this new series…really liked the Cab Franc and this review. Looking forward to more of them.
Very nice video and interesting as per usual ! Living in Greece unfortunately is very hard for me to get my hands on these wines :/
I would love to see some Assyrtiko or Xinomavro tasting at some point so I can brag about my country
12:20 - Georgian wines usually use the whole grape claster. it gives very specific taste, which i like a lot! More tannic