Northern Rhône Syrah
by Anthony Lynch
2025 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”
France | Northern Rhône
I’ve noticed significant discord between mainstream convictions about the Syrah grape and my own experiences. Aromas of blackberry jam and dark chocolate are commonly cited, while one educational wine website calls Syrah “a rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine… responsible for some of the darkest full-bodied red wines in the world.”
Lionel Faury’s 2025 Syrah tops out at 12.5% alcohol, and you won’t find any of its aromatic components on your morning pancakes. Instead, it is savory with a rambunctious energy, featuring hints of snappy blueberry and crunchy tannins that crackle over the palate as if spat from a pepper grinder.
2023 Saint-Joseph Rouge
France | Northern Rhône
Marie Perret and her father, André, are magicians with the Viognier grape, but the skilled Perret hand is not limited to white wines. They also grow a bit of Syrah on vertiginous granite terraces flanking the Rhône, crafting a red Saint-Joseph that allies brooding dark fruit with a delicate touch. Smoked meat and tapenade soar from the glass, and if that sounds like a good pairing for lamb, it certainly is. I’d go for grilled chops on a nice day and opt for a roast shoulder or leg when it starts getting nippy out. Don’t hold back on the garlic!
2024 Côte-Rôtie “Les Roses”
France | Northern Rhône
Every summer, I visit Louis Barruol’s cellar in the Rhône Valley to taste through barrels of Côte Rôtie he has sourced from a collection of the appellation’s best terroirs. They have been whole-cluster fermented, and once our blending exercise is over, he bottles without filtration, exclusively for shipment to the United States. The cool 2024 vintage yielded Syrahs with a striking floral bouquet, so I sought to capture this trait by blending the most exquisitely perfumed barrels in Louis’ cellar—you’ll see exactly why we call our cuvée “Les Roses.” The seductive aromatics and feathery tannins could not come from Syrah grown anywhere else on Earth.