Syrah / Shiraz

Syrah — known as Shiraz in Australia and South Africa — is a dark-skinned grape that makes one of the world's great full-bodied red wines: deeply coloured, powerfully structured and unmistakably savoury, with blackberry and plum fruit framed by a signature crack of black pepper. Born in the northern Rhone of France, it ranges from the firm, smoky, mineral wines of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie to the lush, sweet-fruited, full-throttle Shiraz of Australia's Barossa Valley. It is high in tannin and alcohol with medium-plus acidity, and it ages superbly. The specific varieties below — Northern Rhone Syrah and Barossa Valley Shiraz — are the two poles of its expression.