This week, I’m thinking about comfort wines. If it’s chilly outside, that’s likely the kind of wine you’re looking for right now.
There’s no wine that says curling up for a Netflix and chill night to me more than Syrah. These wines run the gamut stylistically. Some are soft and plush like a cashmere pashmina and others are rustic like a big, cable-knit Irish fisherman’s sweater. But they’re all cozy — and perfect for winter.
Syrahs tend to have fruit and flower aromas (black cherry + blackberry + violets) that move into savory and spicy flavors (black pepper + green olives + smoke). Some are dense and concentrated; others are juicy and fresh.
Here’s what to know
Syrah’s ancestral home is likely Persia. But its spiritual home is the Hermitage, in France’s Northern Rhône region, where some of the world’s most renowned examples are found. Bottles from Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, for example, sell for $5,000 or more. For a single bottle.
But delicious Syrahs are made all over. I’ve been a longtime fan of the biodynamic Washington state Syrah specialist Christophe Baron of Cayuse. He’s a cult, small production winemaker, and his wines are really hard to find. It may sound crazy, but I’ve been on a waiting list for more than 10 years just to buy from Cayuse (#obsessed). Sigh, no luck yet.
Not to worry: Many amazing Syrahs are both affordable and widely available. If you like jammier, fruit forward wines, look to warmer regions like Washington, California’s Paso Robles, and Australia (where they’re called Shiraz — same grape, different regional name). If you like leaner, more savory wines, try those from cooler regions like California’s Sonoma Coast and Chile’s Casablanca.
These wines call out for big, meaty dishes like beef stews and charred steak. And lamb. In my mashed potato-crazed house (my kids’ favorite food), we make shepherd’s pie all winter long, and I always open a bottle of Syrah. Or if meat’s not your thing, play to Syrah’s spicy notes with black bean and sweet potato chili.
Three to try
These are a few of my favorite Syrahs, all available right now online.
Domaine Barou Cuvée des Vernes Syrah 2019 ($16)
Damn this is a good wine — what a value! Marie-Agnès and Emmanuel Barou are small producers making organic and biodynamic wine in the Northern Rhône on their living farm (they also grow cherries and apricots). This Syrah is from 30+ year old vines. It’s deeply aromatic (blackberry + blueberry + anise) with layers of interesting flavors (forest + leather + smoke). The wine is fresh, with bright acidity and well integrated tannins. Most importantly, it’s smooth and easy drinking.
Edmunds St. John North Canyon Road Syrah 2015 ($30)
I’m so into Steve Edmunds’ wines. You won’t find him on Instagram or any social channels, but he’s one of California’s pioneers of low-intervention winemaking (and he’s been doing it for 35 years!). I notice something new with every sip. On the first, it’s fruit and flowers (blueberries + black cherries + violet. Then savories (dried herbs + umami + saline). Then the juiciness — bright acidity, well integrated tannins. It’s a wine that’s all about balance and pleasure.
Arnot-Roberts Syrah, Sonoma Coast, 2018 ($36)
For the past 20 years, childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts have been making site-specific wines of balance and integrity in Northern California. This organic Syrah uses a technique called whole cluster fermentation that gives it perfumed aromas (black cherry + florals). On sipping, the wine is bold and spicy (black pepper + wild herbs) with a concentrated fruit core (black cherry + blackberry). For a fuller bodied wine, it has a lot of freshness and energy, which IMHO makes it worth the price tag. It’s a wine that evolves well — I drank it over a few days and it kept getting better.