Shir class.. no matter where it comes from

AFELLA rang me the other day and called me Maurice with what I call the “Chevalier” pronunciation.

I’m not bothered what people call me so long as they aren’t trying to get me to sign up to some direct debit I don’t need.

It’s the same spelling so it happens, I suppose. Though some might argue that if you go by the French version you’re likely a different sort of character. Who knows.

There’s no such confusion with Syrah as once it left France behind it very quickly became Shiraz and adopted a totally different character. It’s the same grape whether it’s grown in northern Rhone or the Barossa Valley but usually the wines from these two regions are very distinct.

The latter can easily hit 14.5% and is as big and bold as they come while the former is all about the poise and perfumed delicacy, albeit with a muscular enough edge.

Of course as the years have passed since, it is thought, Shiraz arrived in Australia around 1832 the Old and New World have adopted some ideas from each other. To that end, you’ll often see New World producers use the name Syrah as they believe it conjures notions of that Rhone delicacy

as opposed to the untamed beast that is Shiraz.

In France Syrah has expanded beyond northern Rhone and found soil further south in a warmer climate (that would in part lead to a heftier wine) as well as Languedoc.

In all honesty I have always looked to northern Rhone believing its wines to be beyond my grasp, well apart from Crozeshermitage.

So when I came across Domaine Jean-michel Gerin La Champine Syrah on the JN Wine

website as I pondered how to use my £20 off Christmas voucher, I thought I’d read the blurb wrong when I saw a Cote-rotie producer doing a wine for £14.50.

At 14%, it was perhaps close enough to its Aussie cousins. There was a floral, dark rose kind of nose, but rich stewed fruit too.

Dark minerality was on show as was spice on the finish and a hint of cocoa.

As a pleasant change from the New World style, it was a very nice wine and one that made me yearn to try more from northern Rhone should I ever come into money.

The latter can hit 14.5% and is as big and bold as they come