Just for fun, I have been thinking about Syrah producers I love. I decided to share my list with you.
Now, this is a snapshot of current producers. Not every domaine is like Domaine Denis Mortet and makes better wine after the proprietor is dead. Therefore, this list does not contain people who made great Syrah in the past. Noel Verset and Gerard Chave are prime examples of this.
This is a personal list, but I will accept submissions in the comments. If I deem them worthy, or they get enough acclaim with convincing arguments for their inclusion, I will add them to the list.
Some of the Syrah producers I love have not been reviewed on Elitistreview, because I cannot review everything I try. Where I have a review (or more than one), I will link to a representative one that you can read by clicking on the producer name.
So, here we go, in alphabetical order, Syrah producers I love:
Thierry Allemand – Cornas, France.
Franck Balthazar – Cornas, France.
Domaine Julien Barge – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Mickael Bourg – Cornas, France.
By Farr – Geelong, Australia.
Domaine Champet – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Domaine Clape – Cornas, France.
Clusel-Roch – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Domaine du Colombier – Hermitage, France.
Domaine Duclaux – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Dumien-Serrette – Cornas, France.
Mac Forbes – Yarra Valley, Australia
Guillaume Gilles – Cornas, France.
Domaine Pierre Gonon – St Joseph, France.
Henschke – Eden Valley, Australia.
Domaine Jamet – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Domaine Lionnet – Cornas, France.
Lismore Estate – Greyton, South Africa.
Mullineux – Swartland, South Africa
Porseleinberg – Swartland, South Africa.
Donovan Rall – Swartland, South Africa.
Ridge Vineyards – Sonoma County, USA.
Domaine Rostaing – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Duncan Savage – Cape Town, South Africa.
Domaine de Tunnel – Cornas, France.
Domaine Vernay – Côte-Rôtie, France.
Les Vins de Viennes – Côte-Rôtie, France.
The tallies:
- France – 17
- Côte-Rôtie – 8
- Cornas- 8
- Hermitage – 1
- St. Joseph – 1
- South Africa – 5
- Australia – 3
- USA – 1
That’s a pretty good list Davy. I’d add Domaine Pierre Gonon. Gonon is making the best St. Jo at the moment and his wines are serious syrah in their own right. I had the 2015 last week and it was beautiful if just a touch too young for prime time.
I think by reputation alone, Gonon will be added in a moment!
I go by reputation because the one time I have tried his wine, I was so paralytic I have no memory of the wine at all – what a badly behaved person I am! 😉
Faurie would have been a contender too, but Rousset is now making the wines. So Faurie gets excluded on your criterion of the winemaker being a current producer.
Faurie has retired, no? If so, his name is not on the list, and he is not coming in.
Ah I came here to say Faurie. Graillot should be included though? The 96 Guiraude I tasted last year was stellar.
The only straight Syrah from Ridge I’ve tasted was far on the wrong side of the feral / fecal line. I can’t quite believe I don’t have any…
I don’t think Alain’s son makes as good wine as his painfully missed pere.
I have only had two Ridge Syrahs, both of which were really tits! One was ten years old and had aged very gracefully indeed.