From its hilly, cool-climate home in France’s Northern Rhône, Syrah has traveled the world. The grape made its way to Australia in the late 19th century, and in the ‘80s a group of winemakers in California called the Rhône Rangers championed the variety stateside.
In France, where it’s known as Syrah, the grape is renowned for its distinct savory notes, with hints of smoked meats, black olives, and cracked black pepper. But in Australia, where the variety goes by Shiraz, it shows off its more rich and concentrated side, with blueberry and plum flavors. All of this to say, this grape contains multitudes. Especially here in the U.S., from the wind gaps of Santa Barbara to the hillside vineyards of Sonoma and southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley, the country’s varying terroirs show off Syrah’s full range of characteristics.
So whether you’re a diehard Syrah drinker or looking to dive deep into its broad world of expressions, it’s time to seek out these bottles that represent a new era for the variety. Here are the 19 best Syrahs for 2024.
Table Of Contents
Best Syrahs Under $25
Paringa Shiraz 2022
Paringa is a project by the Hickinbotham family, which has been making wine in South Australia for over 87 years. It has wild berries and slight hints of earthy pepper on the nose. The palate is soft and balanced with fleshy fruit and great acidity.
Average price: $14
Rating: 92
3 Rings Shiraz 2021
Here’s another balanced and affordable example of Shiraz from South Australia’s Barossa Valley. The nose is all juicy berry fruit with some pepper lingering beneath. The palate is soft and plush with a nice focus on fruit and herbs. The finish is easy and a little smoky.
Average price: $20
Rating: 92
D’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2021
This wine is named after owner Joseph Osborn’s prized horse Footbolt, which he begrudgingly sold in order to purchase the d’Arenberg property in 1912. This wine is a call back to the classic Shiraz of the time. The nose has bright wild berry fruit with a hint of pepper and cola. On the palate it’s soft and rich with a tannic edge. A slight bitter note on the finish adds to the complexity.
Average price: $20
Rating: 92
McPrice Myers Right Hand Man Syrah 2023
This wine from California’s Central Coast should be your “right hand man” for that weeknight meal. It’s affordable, easy, and approachable. And the best part? It’s delicious. The nose is soft, but the palate is deep and soulful, with rich fruit and quiet pops of pepper and herbs.
Average price: $20
Rating: 90
Best Syrah Under $50
Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz 2021
The Grampians are a series of five sandstone ridges in Victoria, South Australia. That means grapes get a lot of sun, leading to a Shiraz with concentrated fruit and deep savory characteristics. This bottle right here defines this grape in this place. Wild berry fruit and black pepper are layered with a hint of vanilla on the nose. The savory pepper notes intensify on the palate, all while being kept in check by a judicious dose of oak. The tannins are soft yet present and the finish lingers in the best way.
Average price: $28
Rating: 94
Living Roots ‘Blackwoods’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2019
Seb from Australia and Colleen from New York founded Living Roots together in 2016. Instead of just focusing on one wine region of the world, the pair decided to make wine from both of their respective homes. This is their Shiraz from Australia’s MClaren Vale region. It’s made from over- 100-year-old vines and has a rich, earthy nose with wild berry fruit and a slight hint of soy. The palate is fleshy with a spicy finish and excellent acidity.
Average price: $30
Rating: 93
Outward Wines Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2023
This wine is a great example of how Syrah can thrive on California’s Central Coast. It shows punchy dark fruit with some savory herbs on the nose. The wine comes alive on the palate with deep peppery notes and a distant campfire vibe. The mouthfeel is weighty but complemented by a great natural acidity.
Average price: $34
Rating: 93
Fowles ‘Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch’ Shiraz 2020
The name of this wine says it all. Inspired by the Fowels family’s dedication to their land and love of hunting, the “Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch” Shiraz is meant to emulate the flavors and textures of wild food. This is the Shiraz to get you back into Shiraz. It’s amazing. Spiced meat, herbs, pepper, and cinnamon jump out on the nose. It has a comforting richness on the palate with deep red and black fruit flavors punctuated by complex savory notes.
Average price: $35
Rating: 95
Arnot-Roberts Sonoma Coast Syrah 2023
There’s something transcending about Syrah’s innate savory characteristics that separates it from other wines. When done right, its profile can conjure cozy, savory vibes that are spiced and somewhat smoky. In the U.S., we don’t see these aromas emerge as often as we do in its home in the Northern Rhône of France, but Arnot-Roberts coaxes them out with ease. The nose is exactly what you want in a Syrah: woodsy and herb-driven with brambly berry fruit It’s medium-bodied with a delicate tannic structure and bright acidity that lifts the wine on the palate.
Average price: $40
Rating: 95
Division Winemaking Company Gamine Syrah 2020
Division’s Kate Norris and Tom Monroe have been a pioneering force in the urban warehouse winemaking district of Portland, Ore. Gamine is Norris’s project giving a nod to one of her favorite wine regions, France’s Rhône Valley. And wow does she hit it out of the park. This Syrah has a subtle yet expressive nose with quiet notes of wild berry fruit, pepper, and herbs. The palate is medium bodied and extremely balanced showing a focused display of the grape’s inherent complexities. Well-woven tannins frame the wine and a lifting acidity lingers on the finish.
Average price: $40
Rating: 94
Two Hands Wines Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2022
Two Hands has been making Shiraz since 1999. Not only does the winery offer a consistent quality, but the wine is easy to find on our market. Dense dark fruit on the nose is broken up by a slight hint of pepper. The palate is juicy and even with good tart fruit concentration and soft tannins that disappear on the finish.
Average price: $41
Rating: 91
The Language of Yes Rancho Réal Vineyard Syrah 2022
Randall Grahm is a pioneering figure in American wine history. He was a founding member of California’s Rhône Rangers movement and was the first American winemaker to completely switch to screw cap closures. His new project, The Language of Yes, is inspired by the diverse wine regions of southern France. This Syrah is a triumph. On the nose, citrus mingles with notes of cinnamon and wild berry fruit. The palate is on point with the ideal balance between fruit, tannin, and supportive acidity.
Average price: $45
Rating: 95
Pax Nellessen Vineyard Syrah 2022
It’s not easy making Syrah that transcends the palate and the soul. Since its founding, the Pax winery has been focused on crafting complex expressions of this variety, and it’s successfully achieved a kind of quality rarely seen in the U.S. This wine will send you. Sourced from the Nellessen Vineyard on California’s Sonoma Coast, this wine offers layered aromas of juicy berries, spiced orange peels, and earth. The palate has a great freshness and an even balance to it.
Average price: $48
Rating: 95
Best Syrah Under $100
Jim Barry Wines McRae Wood Shiraz 2017
Jim And Nancy Barry bought 70 acres of land from their friend and neighbor Duncan McRae in 1964 and began their winemaking journey by planting Shiraz in what was once farmland. Today, those Shiraz vines make up the majority of this wine as a nod to their friend. It’s earthy on the nose, with aromas of ripe berry fruit and pepper. The palate is quenching with great acidity and an abundant core of fruit.
Average price: $48
Rating: 93
Bien Nacido Estate Syrah 2022
The Bien Nacido Vineyard is one of the most celebrated vineyards in the U.S., and the balance and complexity of this wine shows us exactly why. It has a deep, meaty nose with layers of black pepper, herbs, and the slightest hint of oak. The palate has prominent tannins that slip into the wine’s rich fruit core.
Average price: $75
Rating: 94
Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz 2020
This wine comes from a vineyard just off of Brooks Road in South Australia, a site that’s been the source of celebrated wine in the region for 50 years. In 2012, owners Christopher Carpenter and Peter Fraser began bottling their own wine and named it after the original owner, Alan David Hickinbotham. This single-vineyard Shiraz has a rich, meaty nose with savory dark fruit and hints of freshly cracked black pepper wafting about. The palate is expertly balanced with more savory characteristics and well-integrated tannins. This is a Shiraz you’ll fall in love with.
Average price: $80
Rating: 94
Best Syrah Over $100
Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes 2020
It’s only natural that we list a couple of bottles from the Syrah’s agreed-upon homeland, France’s Northern Rhône. Delas Frères has been making wine in the small appellation of Hermitage since the mid-19th century and knows how to coax elegance out of this variety that is known for being deep, dark, and somewhat rustic. It has a soft mineral-driven nose with quiet hints of herbs and blackberries. The palate is concentrated with notes of cassis lifted by a wonderful acidity.
Average price: $110
Rating: 91
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Saint Pierre Cornas 2021
Paul Jaboulet began in Hermitage over two centuries ago and has since expanded its winemaking outward. This bottle comes from Cornas, an appellation just south of Hermitage on the opposite side of the Rhône River. It shows the lighter side of Syrah, with subtle notes of dried herbs and wild berries. The palate is plush and somewhat juicy with soft tannins.
Average price: $125
Rating: 90
Torbreck Descendant 2020
The tradition of co-fermenting some of the white wine grape Viognier with Syrah began in the Northern Rhône in an appellation called Côte-Rôtie. It leads to such aromatically complex wines that some producers outside of Europe also decided to give it a go. Torbeck hit the style on the head. This wine has a deep meaty nose with herbs steeped in dark fruit along with a waft of cinnamon. The palate offers great depth, with flavors of roasted fruit and a smoky note on the finish.
Average price: $150
Rating: 92
FAQs
Where is Syrah from?
Syrah is widely considered to have originated in the south of France. It’s most famous for being the sole red grape of the Northern Rhône’s prestigious appellations including Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint Joseph. It’s also a primary component of red blends from the Southern Rhône Valley and throughout the south of France.
Is Syrah the same as Shiraz?
Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape. The variety is referred to as Syrah in France, but when the grape landed in Australia, it adopted the name Shiraz. Though they are the same grape, each country is known to produce the wines in different styles. Syrah from France is known for being more savory and medium-bodied, while Shiraz from Australia is known for being rich and concentrated with heavy oak influence.
Where is the best Syrah grown?
The most prestigious examples of Syrah come from the regions of the Northern Rhône in France. Some Shiraz bottlings from Australia are esteemed as well, and many producers in the U.S. and South Africa are also making notable expressions of the variety.
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Throughout the year, VinePair conducts numerous tastings for our popular Buy This Booze column, and wine and spirits reviews. Our mission is to provide a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking.
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