The wonders of terrior--the difference in Syrah and Shiraz

I like Australian Shiraz, but if your experience with Syrah has been limited to Australian Shiraz, you should really try something from France’s northern Rhone valley. Unlike the southern Cotes du Rhone blends, which rely heavily on grenache/garnache, the wines of the northern Rhone (such as Hermitage) are based on Syrah. In the New World, we are fixated on grape varietal--is it a cabernet or a merlot, a chardonnay or a sauvignon blanc? In the Old World, the focus is on terroir--the region, the land, the actual dirt in which those grapes are grown. If you are not familiar with the concept of terrior, or if you think wine is primarily about the kinds of grapes used, taste an Australian shiraz next to a northern Rhone red. Both may be wonderful wines, but the difference will shock you. The grapes are the same, but the terrior, the soul of the land, is vastly different, and will produce vastly different wines.

With that said, tonight I tried a 2003 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Les Jalets” Crozes Hermitage. I get some strange smells from this wine--smoke, rocks, (wet rocks in particular), moss, cooked black fruits. These are very deep, dark smells, like the ground in a forest late at night after a rain. There is someting in the distant background that reminds me of something I’ve tried before, but I can’t quite place it. (I think it was something Italian, but I’m not sure.) It’s really that wet, mossy stone that permeates. As it opens up a little, I’m starting to get a faint hint of candied walnuts, vanilla, and burnt toast. This is a very aromatic wine. There is something else that is so familiar in the smell, but I just can’t place it. A desperate search of the internet for other tasting notes of this wine, and I found someone who caught it--root beer!!! Good call. That is exactly what I am smelling. You never know what you will find in a wine.

Now, to the tasting. This is a fascinating wine. To be honest, I did not have high hopes for this wine. A moderately priced Hermitage (about $20) from a big negociant could go either way, but I thought I would give it a try. I’m glad I did. This wine has a lot going on in it. I’ve described the nose above, but the taste and finish are just as complex. I’m getting a lot of cherries. Not really fresh cherries or cooked cherries, more like candied cherries--like a cherry liqueur or cherry cordial. It is slightly tart but incredibly smooth, and the tannins are just strong enough to counter that smoothness. I love the balance of this wine. The acidity, tannins, fruit, wood--everything works so well together. It may sound odd to speak of a “bold balance”, but that is all I can think of to describe this wine. I am really impressed.

I have finally figured out what this wine reminds me of. It really makes me think of a 2003 Cesari Amarone, but it is much better balanced. Don’t get me wrong, the Cesari was good (especially with food), but it was just a little too smooth. It needed to be paired with the right food to bring out its depth. The Jaboulet stands on its own. It is begging me to try another glass. I guess I will have to comply. Yum!!!

Rojo, The Fretted Zither
...a wine blog from East Nashville