Ch10 Syrah & Grenache

Question 1

Syrah General Characteristics

Answer 1

Syrah in France / Shiraz in Australia

Small, thick dark coloured skins

Question 2

Syrah Flavours and aromas

Answer 2

• Deep colour + Medium or High Tannin + Medium Acidity + Full Body
• Black fruit (blackberry) + Dark Chocolate

Question 3

Syrah Climate

Answer 3

MODERATE CLIMATE
- Black fruit (blackberry) + Dark Chocolate + Herbaceous + Smoked Meat + Spice (black pepper)

HOT CLIMATE
- More sweet spices (liquorice)

DOES NOT ripen in cool climates

Question 4

Syrah Ageing

Answer 4

Age = best wines develop animal + vegetal (leather, wet leaves, earth)

Question 5

Syrah Oaked

Answer 5

Most undergo oak - either barrel or chips or staves = toast + smoke + vanilla + coconut

Question 6

Grenache General Characteristics

Answer 6

• Garnacha in Spain

- Large, thick skinned, light in colour wines

Question 7

Grenache Flavour and Aromas

Answer 7

• Very Full Body + High Sugar + Low Acid
• Red fruit (strawberry, raspberry) + Spice (white pepper, liquorice)
• With age = evolves into toffee + leather

Question 8

Grenache Climate

Answer 8

Needs hot climate

Question 9

Grenache Ageing

Answer 9

With age = evolves into toffee + leather

Question 10

Syrah Grenache Blending

Answer 10

Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot (but easier to make 100% Syrah than 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)

Southern Rhone adds other wines eg Mourvedre and Cinsault add to character of wine (others just add to higher yields + cheap + easy to grow

Australia = Shiraz + Grenache = full body + fruity red + soft tannins + best served lightly chilled.
More serious wines = Full body + intense + complex
Serious Wines include other varieties eg Mataro = Mourvedre….GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre)

Question 11

Grenache Adds?

Answer 11

Grenache = more alcohol + lower levels of tannins + acidity + red fruit + spice

Question 12

Syrah Adds?

Answer 12

Syrah = boosts colour + tannin + acidity + dark fruit

Question 13

Northern Rhone Regions

Answer 13

Cote Rotie
Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage

Question 14

Northern Rhone Characteristics

Answer 14

• Classic region for Syrah
• Finest wines grown on steep terraces above Rhone
  so narrow, can only be harvested by hand = expensive
• Sunlight + good drainage
• Powerful, complex, age-worthy wines

Question 15

Crozes-Hermitage

Answer 15

• Large appellation that’s flatter = less expensive - but less intense and less complex
• Black pepper + tannins + acids = like Syrah from moderate climates

Question 16

Southern Rhone Regions

Answer 16

• Cote du Rhone
• Cote du Rhone Villages
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Question 17

Southern Rhone Landscape

Answer 17

• Flatter, no steep slopes, wide stony plains

- Hotter and drier than northern Rhone ideal for Grenache

Question 18

Southern Rhone Styles

Answer 18

• Large range of styes and qualities
• Cheap = Medium Body + Light Tannin + Simple Juicy Red Fruit and Pepper
• Best = could pass for Chateauneuf-du-Pape in terms of body + complexity + intensity + length

Question 19

Most famous Southern Rhone and the only AC in Southern Rhone

Answer 19

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape

- Some are 100% Grenache, but mostly blended with Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault

Question 20

How many grape varieties allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Answer 20

13 permitted grape varieties - but most use very few

Question 21

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Characteristics

Answer 21

Full Body + Medium Tannin + Low Acidity + Intense character

Red fruit (strawberry) + Spice (pepper, liquorice) + Animal (leather)

Question 22

Minervois, South France

Answer 22

Increasing numbers of premium Grenache and Syrah from South France

Minervois

• Main varieties = Grenache + Carignan (carignan gives tough wines with high acid and high tannin)
• Syrah + Mourvedre used to add complexity to the best wines

Question 23

Spain Garnacha

Answer 23

Garnacha most widely planted variety in Spain

Question 24

Highest Expression in Spain?

Answer 24

Priorat
- Highest expression, quality, complex premium wines = expensive

• Deep colour + Powerful + Full Body
• Grenache main component of blends

Used alone or main component of Rose = Navarra

Question 25

Tempranillo

Answer 25

Garnacha can be blended with Tempranillo (Rioja) - but rarely seen in best Rioja

Question 26

Garnacha Rose

Answer 26

Used alone or main component of Rose in Navarra

Question 27

Australia Regions

Answer 27

Hunter Valley McLaren Vale Barossa Valley Victoria (moderate climate) - Grampions - Heathcoate South Australia

Question 28

Victoria (Grampions and Heathcoate) styles

Answer 28

- Different style | - More peppery + less full bodied + intense flavour + complex + similar to Rhone

Question 29

South Australia Shiraz

Answer 29

- Best shiraz are multi-regional blends - Blending makes more complex + premium wine with consistent style in larger quantities - Sometimes mention origin on label - but GI will be South Australia

Question 30

South Africa Shiraz

Answer 30

- Deep coloured + full body | - Dried fruit (raisins, prune, fruitcake) + Smoked meat + Oak

Question 31

California and Washington

Answer 31

Full body + dark fruit

Question 32

New Zealand

Answer 32

Hawke's Bay

Question 33

Chile

Answer 33

San Antonio | - More elegant + Fruity + Peppery

Question 34

Where is Minervois and what is it known for

Answer 34

It is in the South of France and its known for Grenache blended with Carignan.

Question 35

BULK

Answer 35

``` Cote du Rhone = large volume at low price South of France Pays d’OC Languedoc AC Spain (Grenache led) Australia Riverland Murray-Darling Riverina Names not on labels - SEA ```

Question 36

BLENDS

Answer 36

- Shiraz Viognier Northern Rhone trend to add some white to fermentation Adds Smooth texture + Exotic fruit - Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon - Grenache Syrah Mourvedre Cinsault - Grenache Tempranillo