Syrah

Old-vine Shiraz at its most opulent. Ripe blackberry, plum, mocha, and chocolate over a velvety, full-bodied palate, with black pepper for savoury lift.

Medium-bodied, savoury Australian Shiraz. Earth, leather, pepper, and red fruit over moderate weight, ageing 15-20 years into game and tobacco complexity.

Maritime South Australian Shiraz, more elegant than the Barossa. Ripe blackberry, dark plum, and chocolate, with a savoury garrigue lift and finer tannin.

Adds structure and dark fruit to blends; increasingly impressive as a varietal in cooler sites like Pic Saint-Loup. Good-value Syrah, often blended. Ripe, fruity, approachable.

Adds color and spice to both rosé and red blends

Northern Rhône Syrah on granite. Black pepper, smoked meat, violet, and olive, with savoury restraint built for ageing. Hermitage powers, Côte-Rôtie perfumes.

Swartland and Stellenbosch Syrah leans savoury and silky. Old bush vines on granite and schist give black fruit, fynbos herbs, and fine tannin without Barossa weight.

Cool-climate Syrah from Castell d'Encus's Thalarn and Torres's Purgatori sits between Northern Rhône lift and Mediterranean spice

A modern addition, often blended with Garnacha and Cariñena to add spice and color

A growing presence on the warmer central Valais slopes; structured Northern-Rhône-leaning styles

Bold and savory, with blackberry, smoke, and bacon fat. The Rocks District produces some of America's most distinctive Syrah.

Meaty, peppery, and dark-fruited, especially from the cooler western districts. Paso Robles is one of America's best Syrah sources.

Warm-climate Syrah with ripe dark fruit, chocolate, and pepper. The marine influence preserves freshness.