Celebrating BC Syrah
It might just be the propitious golden child of BC’s warmest winemaking regions.
Not the most popular wine, it doesn’t benefit from the same ubiquity as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. But our winemakers have been focusing their efforts on perfecting this variety and boy has it been working! Syrah clearly excels here - but has this success story been prematurely cut short?
What’s unique about Syrah?
Syrah is a thick-skinned, sun-loving black grape originating in France’s Rhône Valley. Its wines are deeply pigmented and present aromas and flavours of blackberries, dark plums, violets, herbs, black pepper, and a little smoke. Acidity and tannins are not usually very intense; instead Syrah is known for a fine-grained, meaty texture. Why do people call Syrah ‘meaty?’ It’s more about feel than flavour - you get a similar sanguine, carnal satisfaction, guilt-free.
And that character does indeed pair well with meat, although vegetarian dishes can be equally successful. Grilled lamb, spice-rubbed game, BBQ pork, hearty meatless stews, aged cheese, and bittersweet chocolate mousse can all complement Syrah. Coq au vin, charcuterie, or lamb shawarma are also good places to start. Match the wine’s body by bringing together lighter, fresher styles with similar foods, and vice versa.
International examples
To this day the northern Rhône’s steep slopes and staked vines produce world renowned and expensive red wines with floral highlights, flavours of dark fruit, and a peppery finish. Here the wines are 100% Syrah, with some producers opting to co-ferment with a small fraction of perfumey Viognier. Further south in the famed regions of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, or great-value Côte-du-Rhône, Syrah is blended with numerous other varieties.
In the southern hemisphere, Australia has become the kingdom for Shiraz (the same grape with a different name). Their climate being completely different, this popular wine style is bombastic with more richness, more fruitiness, more alcohol - pretty much more everything, except maybe elegance.
What about ours?
Today, BC only has enough appetite for Syrah to put it at 5th place in red wine acreage. Its value is not in its popularity though, but its quality. Nearly three quarters of awards for Syrah in Canadian competitions are from BC. Many have made the podium internationally as well. In British Columbia, Syrah often performs as a one-grape exhibition, and confidently at that. Our wines are decidedly more Syrah than Shiraz, bringing more finesse and structure as permitted by our geography. This grape is also sometimes added to Bordeaux-style Meritage blends, and as a nod to similar blends from Tuscany using Sangiovese, ours have been nick-named ‘Super Okanagans.’ Syrah also occasionally ends up as a rosé, exhibiting a lively and refreshing side to its complexity. Add some CO2 and you’ve got yourself a sublime sparkler!
Recent history
When many vineyards were first being planted here in the 90’s, most people thought it absurd to put Syrah vines in the dirt. Luckily, Alex Nichol (Nichol Vineyards) and Richard Cleave (who established vineyards for many producers such as Phantom Creek, Burrowing Owl, and Mission Hill) disagreed. The growing degree days received in the south Okanagan are strikingly similar to the Northern Rhône. Our local climate, as it turns out, is impeccably suited to this varietal. Or at least - it was.
Along with the steady advance of climate change, which might otherwise have a positive impact on grape growing, come more frequent inclement weather events. In December of 2022 and January 2024, extreme freezing temperatures had devastating impacts on wine production in our province. The most hard hit were cold-sensitive varietals like - you guessed it - Syrah. The 2024 harvest was unlike anything we’ve experienced. Wineries and vineyard managers were forced to make difficult decisions. Replant and hope for the best, or pivot to a new direction?
An assessment of the present
Pre-catastrophe wines are featured below to give a sense of where we’re at right now. To showcase our quality across regions, I’ve selected these spectacular BC Syrahs, which were kindly provided by the wineries. As always, these are tasted blind to mitigate any bias or expectations.
1.Le Vieux Pin Cuvée Violette 2022
A longtime local favourite, this wine was a Gold medal winner at WineAlign 2024. It’s a pure-bred Syrah fermented in stainless steel and concrete, followed by 15 months in French oak (77%) and concrete (27%). The hallmark of this wine is its airy freshness. The nose is concentrated with stewed plum and tart blackberry, blueberry bonbon, potpourri, cedar, and spice. These are reflected on the palate which is moderate in its structure, graceful and delicately balanced. The style is light and aromatic, and therein lies its power. I’d pair with Greek chicken all day.
2.Le Vieux Pin Cuvée Classique 2022
This is an alternative Rhône blend containing a 1.2% fraction of Marsanne. The barrel program consists of 20 months in French oak, of which 18% is new wood. Distinctly rounder and fuller with equally precise balance. Again we have concentrated aromas and flavours of boysenberry, dark fruit compote, potpourri, some anise and tobacco leaf, and well-integrated vanilla and clove from the barrels. The tannins are a little more assertive than the Violette, contributing to the more robust body and slightly longer finish. This is what one should expect when looking for a signature BC Syrah.
3.Maverick Bush Vine Syrah 2022
These gobelet-trained bush vines are found on a 1-acre block of narrow terraces, which can only be tended by hand. Fermentation is carried out in a large wooden foudre, then transferred into French and Hungarian oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months of maturation. Astounding aromatic complexity has been achieved in this wine and quite plainly, it is unlike anything else. From within the garnet depths spring forth prune and dried violets, frankincense, tobacco, cigar box, smoke, mint, and an impression of herbed pemmican with dried blueberry and rosemary. If that doesn’t already get you salivating, the high acid and toothy tannins will do the job. Despite all this and a very long finish, the body remains at medium, so the wine remains agile. Balance leans towards the non-fruit components so this won’t be for everyone, but character like this must be experienced.
4.Maverick Rosé 2023
The Syrah grown for this rosé comes from Maverick’s Desert Vineyard in Osoyoos. 5% Pinot Gris and 4% Sauv Blanc also make up the blend. Direct pressing and stainless steel fermentation allow tight control of colour and bright aromatics. The pretty pink-orange sunset hue hopefully does not foreshadow Syrah’s fate in BC. On the backdrop of fresh red berries, citrus peel, and green plum, subtle highlights of grass and green papaya are added by the blending partners. This is a dry rosé with a gravelly streak and modest acidity; light, soft, and fresh, and best enjoyed with food on the patio.
5.Corcelettes Micro Lot Series Syrah 2022
Their newest vintage, yet to be assessed by wine competitions. This is a blend of 3 Keremeos vineyards (Upper Bench, Middle Bench, and Sunshot block 3) and co-fermented with 5% Viognier. After harvesting and sorting by hand, each lot is fermented separately with plenty of pump overs and punch downs to maximize extraction. The calculated oak program involves 92% French and 8% American; mostly in barrel, but one fifth is in foudre and 17% of all the oak is new. On the nose and palate you’ll find the usual bramble in three intense forms: fresh, dried, and cooked. Floral notes are there as well (violets, dried rose petals), bay laurel, and the oak is well integrated, hinting at smoke and baking spices. Although the structural components are not markedly different from the other wines here, they manage to hit a sweet spot and there is ample flavour concentration for a generous finish.
6.Nostalgia Family Collection Home Vineyard Syrah 2021
Their 2020 won Platinum at WineAlign, this won Bronze, and a 2022 will be released this year. This Syrah was aged for 15 months in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, a third of which were new. Stylistically it is fuller and richer, with more prominent oak influence. A fruit cobbler of blackberry, plum, and blueberry is served, complemented by traces of cocoa, toffee, vanilla, and leather. Acid is fairly high, likewise the tannins, which are grippy and fine. The concentrated fruit provides generous length to the finish. Here’s a delicious Syrah that can nimbly accompany thoughtful contemplation, or the scarfing of a burger and fries.
7.Pentâge Syrah 2018
100% Skaha bench fruit, with just 0.5% co-fermented Viognier. Maturation was carried out over 18 months in 70% French and 30% American oak, with 30% of all barrels being new. Bottle aging followed in the cellar up to its release in 2024. Gold medal winner at WineAlign 2023. Buying a fine cellar-aged wine ready to drink is already a treat, but this is incredible value at just $30.43 (online price). The aromatic intensity is medium-high, with sun-ripened blackberries and plums, violets, dried dates and currants, fig, crumbled cookie, toasted coconut, and some nutty, caramel notes. Overall the profile is a little darker, towards stewed fruits and Christmas pudding, yet lovely and mouthwatering. There’s enough tannin that you could age this longer, but you really don’t need to - it’s been released at the right time.
8.Rust Wine Co. Syrah 2021, South Rock Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench
Sedimentary deposits form the substrate of this vineyard with gravelly clay - promoting deep flavours and velvety tannins like in right bank Bordeaux. Fermented with 25% whole clusters, then aged in French oak (25% new). Flavours are definitely deep, and include juicy blackberries, stewed plums, violets, sweet tobacco, and smoke. Another example of balance, where we see concentrated fruit paired with spirited acidity, tannins that nip, and yet the alcohol at just 13.7% keeps it from going overboard. What a finish, too. Yummy, rich fruit, dark, and smoky. This will certainly continue to age well.
9.Rust Wine Co. Syrah 2021, Lazy River Vineyard, Similkameen Valley
The south Cawston soils, in comparison, have more limestone and granite, emulating the conditions in the Northern Rhône that facilitate elegance and finesse. Also aged in French oak barrels of which 25% are new, this wine was fermented with 40% whole clusters. The aromas are a bit more subdued than the South Rock, but not entirely different in nature - wild dark berries, blossoms, cloves, wood and smoke. Because the fruit is toned down a bit, the other non-fruit stuff like cedar and gravel are a touch more noticeable. We’ve reached peak acidity here, made possible by the greater diurnal range of the Similkameen. Tannins are on blast, and this structure will extend the cellaring potential considerably. Decanting recommended.
Findings: Quality here is incredible! The signature BC style of Syrah appears to be built on a framework of elevated acidity and well-handled tannins, creating a fine, chewy, meaty texture. The prominent dark fruit profile generally does not feature the peppery quality of international styles.
Peril and Promise
The vineyards from which Black Market Wine Co. sourced their Syrah did not survive the 2022 cold snap. We may never again see the different expressions of Syrah coming from Rust Wine Co. as one by one, their vineyards succumbed to nature’s harsh reality. The 2023 wines from an Okanagan Falls site, currently in barrel, will be the final Syrah release from Rust.
Is this the twilight of Syrah in BC?
Not all the news coming from Syrah producers is somber. The team at Corcelettes Estate Winery replanted most of their vineyards, capitalizing on the opportunity to put the same varietals in more strategic locations to optimize their characteristics. In addition, more Syrah was planted at their newest 11-acre vineyard, with steep south-facing slope, much like you’d find in Côte-Rotie or Hermitage.
Meanwhile many others like Nostalgia, Maverick, and Le Vieux Pin are nursing their vines back to health. For Nostalgia, this means propagation via layering to fill in gaps where dead plants were uprooted. This method involves bending canes into the ground adjacent to the plant, which will produce shoots and thus a new plant.
Severine Pinte, winemaker at Le Vieux Pin and LaStella, noticed that the Syrah vineyards were not all equally affected by the freezes. Those that fared well are being rehabilitated, and those that didn’t are being replanted to other varieties while Syrah gets planted in the warmer sites. This wine will absolutely remain a vital part of Le Vieux Pin’s portfolio in the long term. Thank goodness.
The folks at Maverick Estate Winery in south Oliver have committed to Syrah, as it’s one of their signature wines. For 2024 they procured some Washington Syrah grapes to make both a rosé and a red wine, but this is a stop gap until their own unique bush vines are once again ready to rock. These were damaged but not killed, and will be trained from new shoots to reestablish healthy, viable plants.
Looking ahead
So what will the Syrah landscape look like in future vintages? Or to put it another way, will Syrah continue to play the same signature role in the BC wine scene? Although its acreage has undoubtedly declined as of late, I believe we can see Syrah through the frosted glass of the present. Its final form, though, is not yet revealed. The painful truth is that the losses suffered are enough to ensure Syrah will likely remain a beloved but lesser constituent of BC’s wine output. A gifted ambassador, but never president. Whatever the role, let’s hope it’s a lifetime appointment!
This Blog Post was written by our contributor: Matt Tinney with MT Wine Consulting (@mtwineconsulting).