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The International Wine ReviewSeptember 2006Report #4 Syrah: California and the Northwest-Red, Hot and CoolThe New WaveThe tremendous potential for Syrah in the U.S. has long beenrecognized, but until recently had never been fully realized. Weare happy to report that based on our extensive tastings of over250 Syrahs from California, and the Northwest, Syrah has finallyarrived. Indeed, our reviews and ratings in the second sectionof this report confirm a trove of outstanding wines worth seekingout at all price levels. Producers such as Pax , L’Aventure,Failla, Ridge, Betz, Lagier Meredith, and L’Ecole No 41 are just afew of the more notable wineries putting out stunning wines. Inour report, however, we found more than a list of trophy wines;there are plenty of bargains and values to be found as well.Our tasting revealed a new wave of high quality producers whohave joined the ranks of the more established Syrah pioneers.These devoted artisans are pushing the boundaries for Syrah,both in terms of vineyard location and style. Many are resistingthe temptation to focus solely on fashionable grapes such asPinot Noir. And, in many cases, are planting Syrah side by sidewith Pinot Noir in valuable cool climate vineyards. Togetherthese producers are seeking to redefine domestic Syrah, andproduce America’s version of Grange or Cote Rotie.Continued on page 3In This IssueInternational Wine Review............................................2The Origin of Syrah..........................................................3Syrah in the U.S..................................................................4Acreage Reports, Trends and Important AVAs.......4Working with Syrah in the Vineyardsof California, and the Pacific Northwest...................5Climate and Styles of Syrah..........................................6Ripeness, Harvest Parameters, and theIssue of Alcohol................................................................7Working with Syrah in the Winery..............................7Pairing Syrah with Foods...............................................8The Future: Whither Syrah from Californiaand the Pacific Northwest?...........................................9Tasting Notes forCalifornia and Pacific Northwest Syrah....................9Syrah Wines By Rating and Pricing........................... 26

International Wine ReviewThe International Wine Review (IWR) is a new publication for wine professionals and wineenthusiasts who want to be In the Know about the world of wine. It is published 6 times ayear and is only available by subscription.The IWR is informative, educational and enjoyable to read---“the New Yorker of wine publications”according to a prominent importer.Not yet a subscriber? Give the I-Wine Review a try!! Take advantage of our special introductorysubscriptions by signing up online.Save up to 33% on both the web and printed versions for one year.Save up to 50% for two years!ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONTWO YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONWeb Version: $60 Now $40 Web Version: $120 Now $60!Print Version $80 Now $60 Print Version: $160 Now $80!Subscribe on line at www.i-winereview.com or by mail, with check payable to:International Wine Review6625 Old Chesterbrook Rd.McLean, VA 22101TASTING GUIDELINES AND PRINCIPLES• All our tastings are conducted blind.• Tastings are conducted by a panel.• Wines are placed in flights by similar type and suggested retail price.• WE use the 100 Point system, despite its shortcomings.• If a wine scores lower than 85 points we do not include it in the report.• Tasting notes include contact information for importers, producers, anddistributors, who provide wine samples.

This report, however, is not a blanket endorsement for all Syrah.Despite the increasing number of high quality wines on themarket, there is still a great deal of mediocrity in the marketthat consumers should avoid. Readers will be well served inreferring to use our tasting guide before making a purchase. Asis the policy with the International Wine Review, none of thewines included in our tasting guide scored below 85 points.Wines that fall below this standard are simply omitted.In this, our 4th report, The International Wine Review assessesthe current state of Syrah produced in California and the Northwest,and examines the future prospects for this noble grape.In this report we will look at the origins of Syrah, and explorehow it came to be in the U.S. We will examine how the grapeperforms in the vineyard, and in the winery. We will look at pairingSyrah with food. We will investigate the issues of style andthe impact of climate. We will consider the topic of high alcohollevels, and explore the movement toward cooler vineyard sites.And we will make some surprising predictions for the future.The report also includes our extensive tasting notes and ratings.There is set of tables that provides readers with a useful easyaccess guide to all the wines categorized by price and ratings.AcknowledgementsMany people contributed valuable knowledge to this reportand we wish to thank them: John Alban, Bob Lindquist, SethKunin, Bob Betz MW, Bradley Brown, Craig Jaffurs, Carol Merideth,Steve Lagier , Kevin Robinson, Lise Ciolino, and BruceZoecklein, We also wish to thank Jim Arseneault , MichaelFlynn, Nadine Brown, and Roy Wagner for their help in organizingand conducting our tastings. Last but not least,we wish to express our appreciation to the staff of the Hospicedu Rhone for their help in publicizing the report and in obtainingwine samples from member wineries.The Origin of SyrahSyrah, like all wine grapes, is not indigenous to California, or thenorthwest. It is an ancient grape that has been produced in theRhone Valley of France for over 2000 years. Until recently, however,there were two prevailing theories regarding the originsof this grape and how it had arrived in the Rhone. Both of thesetheories proved to be wrong.The first theory was that Syrah was brought to France by thearmies of Probus during the beginning of the 1st century A.D.Vine cuttings were reportedly taken from Egypt, and broughtover by way of Syracuse, in Sicily, by the Roman Legions thatwould occupy Gaul. The name Syrah was believed to have beenderived from the town of Syracuse.The other, more widely spread belief was that this grape wasindigenous to Persia, now Iran, and consequently it was namedafter the town of Shiraz. Hence the Australia/South Africanname for Syrah: Shiraz. Crusaders were thought to have broughtthe vine back during the 11th century. Alternately, the Greekswere thought to have brought it to southern France as far backas the 6th century B.C.Thanks to DNA testing, both these theories were proven to bemyths. In 2001, Dr. Carole Meredith, formerly of the Universityof California, Davis, and French Ampelographer, Jean-MichelBoursiquot, of L’École Nationale Supérieure Agromonique deMontpellier, revealed that Syrah was the offspring of two obscuregrapes, Dureza and Moudeuse Blanche. They also revealedthat Syrah is, in fact, indigenous to France, and, in particular, theRhone Valley. Ironically, neither Dureza, a red grape native to theArdèche, nor Mondeuse Blanche, a white grape native to theSavoie, is considered a grape of any consequence on its own.This has led to speculation that the cross occurred naturally.Jay Youmans, MWMichael Potashnik, Ph. DPublishers, International Wine Review

The Future: Syrah from California and thePacific NorthwestSyrah is often referred to as a chameleon grape that takes ona different character based on the growing conditions of thevineyard. For this reason Syrah has kept consumers guessingas to what they will taste the next time they crack a bottle withthis varietal name. Will the wine be a fruit forward style? A lushwine loaded with oak? Or a peppery, leathery, Rhone style wine?No single style of Syrah will dominate in the future. The riperversions of Syrah that resemble that of Australian Shiraz willcontinue to be an important style in the market. Cooler climateSyrah that mirrors the wines of the northern Rhone will continueto flourish as well. But, a third style of Syrah will emergethat is unique to California, and the northwest. This style is a superextracted, darkly colored, extremely complex, high alcoholwine that has the texture and flavor of a mocha espresso. Thisnew, highly extracted style is what Dan Berger, of Dan Berger’sVintage Experiences, calls a “one glass wine”. It is so extracted, sohigh in alcohol, that you can only drink one glass. All three areviable styles that will find followers and admirers.It is unlikely that Syrah will rival Cabernet Sauvignon as thedominant grape variety any time soon. However, in the US, itcould give Pinot Noir and Merlot a run for the money, particularlyat the value range under $15.00. While Pinot Noir is themost exciting wine being made in California right now, muchof the wine under $15.00 is atypical. Wines possessing darkcolors, structure, and extraction are not easily achieved withcommercial Pinot Noir. At this price point, Syrah is often muchmore interesting than Pinot Noir. And it is likely that with theshortage of Pinot Noir, much of the wine under $15.00 is beingstretched with Syrah.Domestic Syrah continues to be a work in progress, but judgingfrom our encounters with Syrah, the quality has improved significantlyover the last few years. Readers should use our tastingnotes and guide to ensure they maximize their tasting experience.The expression of Syrah in California and the northwestwill only improve as vineyards continue to mature, growersbecome more experienced, and the winemakers adapt to thefruit they are entrusted.Tasting Notes and RatingsCalifornia and Pacific Northwest SyrahAdelaida Cellars 2003 SyrahPaso Robles ($26) 89Adelaida Cellars 2003 SyrahViking Estate Reserve Paso Robles ($55) 90Adelaida Cellars 2003 SyrahGlenrose Estate Reserve Paso Robles ($55) 92The 2003 Syrah Paso Robles exhibits a dark garnet coloraccompanied by ripe blackberry fruit and toasted oak aromas.It is medium-bodied with a palate of dark fruits, earth, baconfat and herbs. It is nicely balanced although the tannins needmore time to evolve. The 2003 Syrah Viking Estate Reservereveals a dark purple opaque color with an oak dominantbouquet combining red cherry and black fruit scents and notesof baking spices. The palate is nicely textured with more berryfruit, smoky oak highlights and good acidity on the finish. The2003 Syrah Glenrose Estate Reserve is dark garnet and rubycoloredwith scents of spicy bright cherry and blackberry fruitand secondary notes of black pepper and cinnamon. Mediumbodiedand nicely balanced, this Syrah is the best of the threeproduced by this estate in the 2003 vintage.Winery:(805) 239-8980.Ampelos Cellars 2003 Evans Ranch SyrahSanta Rita Hills ($34 ) 90Ampelos Cellars is a relatively new family owned and operatedRhone Ranger winery which began operations in 2001. Its2003 Evans Ranch Syrah, sourced from a nearby vineyard, is acomplex and earthy Northern Rhone –styled wine offering afruit forward nose with smoked meat and barnyard-like aromassuggesting a touch of brett. Medium to full-bodied it revealsconsiderable concentration of cherry-like fruit, elegant mouthfeel and a long finish. This Syrah augers well for this new winery(which also makes excellent Pinot Noir) and suggests that the2004 vintage which will be estate grown, will be even better.Andrew Adam Vineyards 2003 SyrahCentral Coast ($29) 92This small family owned and relatively unknown winery hasproduced one of the best values in mid-priced California Syrahtasted in our review. It exhibits a dark opaque purple core witharomatic blackberry fruit and a touch of spice. Fruit forward instyle, highly extracted and full-bodied, this terrific wine, whichspends 26 months in barrel (on original lees) has superb mouthfeel, ripe tannins and a lovely finish. This Syrah is complex andlayered and is drinking beautifully now, but will develop furtherwith time in the bottle. Winery: (805) 259-6949

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