This is a partnership between Barossa Valley winemaker, Rolf Binder and UK wine merchant, Noel Young. Established in 1993 when Mourvèdre and Grenache were largely forgotten varieties, these two Rhône-philes have adapted that great larrikin of the Australian sky – the magpie – as their mascot. Driven by the desire to highlight the Barossa Valley’s rich resources of Rhône Valley varieties and to have a good laugh along the way, Magpie Estate claims Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz as its own. The pair create a range of superbly crafted varietals and blends that collectively represent the many personalities and expressions of these three noble varieties in the Barossa. a b c Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, José Vouillamoz Wine Grapes p. 1029, Penguin Group 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2. Peter Lehmann, with 33 vintages already ‘under his belt‘, started his own winery in 1979, partly as a means of helping with the glut of grapes then afflicting the Barossa. “I’ll take your grapes and turn them into wine,” he told the desperate growers, many of them conservative farmers of Silesian descent who regarded their old vines as part of their patrimony. “But I’ll only be able to pay you when I sell the wine.” They gratefully accepted. Without this deal, it is widely thought that the Barossa would have lost a large swathe of its old vines. The crisis passed, in large part thanks to Peter’s energy and vision, and the Lehmann winery became one of the Barossa’s – and Australia’s – outstanding wineries. Syrah ( / ˈ s iː r ɑː/), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. [1] Syrah should not be confused with Petite Sirah, a cross of Syrah with Peloursin dating from 1880. Synonyms for Syrah include Antourenein noir, Candive, Entournerein, Hermitage, Hignin noir, Marsanne noir, Shiraz, Sira, Sirac, Sirah, Syra, and Syrac. [34] See also [ edit ]

Many factors, including the success of brands like Lindemans (part of Treasury Wine Estates) and Jacob's Creek in the UK, as well as Rosemount in the US and UK, were responsible for a dramatic expansion of plantings during the 1980s and 1990s; a similar trajectory occurred in California. However, the biggest factor in this expansion during the 1990s was a steady increase in exports due to the historically low value of the Australian dollar. [36] Dureza, a dark-skinned grape variety from the Ardèche region in France, has all but disappeared from the vineyards, and the preservation of such varieties is a speciality of Montpellier. Mondeuse blanche is a white grape variety cultivated in the Savoy region, and is still found in small amounts in that region's vineyards today.Karen MacNeil (2001). The Wine Bible. Workman Publishing Company. pp.g 786. ISBN 978-1-56305-434-1. Oz Clark&Margaret Rand (2001). Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Grapes. Hardcourt, inc. pp.gs 252–253. ISBN 978-0-15-100714-1. a b Busby, James (1834). Journal of a recent visit to the principal vineyards of Spain and France. Smith, Elder. p. 108. 1826 scyras shiraz.

Brochures techniques: Dépérissement de la Syrah" (in French). Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009 . Retrieved 4 August 2014. Entry on "Hermitage" in J. Robinson (ed), "The Oxford Companion to Wine", Third Edition, p. 344, Oxford University Press 2006, ISBN 0-19-860990-6. Syrah is used as a single varietal or as a blend. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world's 7th most grown grape at 142,600 hectares (352,000 acres). [3]

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Recently, Australian Shiraz producers have started to add up to 4% Viognier to their Shiraz to add apricot tones to the wine's nose and palate. With such a small percentage added, the producer wasn't obliged to declare the blend on the label. In the past 5 years, however, it's becoming increasingly fashionable to label the wine "Shiraz Viognier" as Viognier gains consumer acceptance in the marketplace. The practise of blending Viognier with Syrah has actually been common for years in the Northern Rhône Valley region of Cote-Rotie. [38] In hot climates (such as Crete, and the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions of Australia), Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of licorice, anise and earthy leather. Syrah continues to be the main grape of the northern Rhône and is associated with classic wines such as Hermitage, Cornas and Côte-Rôtie. In the southern Rhône, it is used as a blending grape in such wines as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône, where Grenache usually makes up the bulk of the blend. Although its best incarnations will age for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth tannin structure. Syrah has been widely used as a blending grape in the red wines of many countries due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate, balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete" wine. Bowers, J.E; Siret, R; Meredith, C.P; This, P; Boursiquot, J.-M (2000). "A Single Pair of Parents Proposed for a Group of Grapevine Varieties in Northeastern France". Acta Horticulturae (528): 129–132. doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.528.15. Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Grapevine Genetics and Breeding. Archived from the original on 2018-06-01 . Retrieved 2008-02-15. P. Gregutt "Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide" pp. 17-38, 61-75, 107-109, University of California Press 2007 ISBN 0-520-24869-4.

Rhône Valley, California, Texas, Columbia Valley, Grand Valley, Australia ( Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale), New Zealand Another proposed etymology links it with the Proto-Celtic word * serra ' billhook', presumably because the billhook was used in pruning. [14] [15] [16] Entry on "Adulteration and fraud" in J. Robinson (ed), "The Oxford Companion to Wine", Third Edition, pp. 4-5, Oxford University Press 2006, ISBN 0-19-860990-6.

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In Italy, Syrah is grown in Tuscany (i.e. Cortona DOC), Lazio (Pontine Agro), and Apulia (Syrah Tarantino IGT). Also a DOC Sirah Piedmont exists. The region though which has made one of the best uses of Syrah, by blending it with Nero d'Avola grapes, is Sicily. It can be found throughout the globe from France to New World wine regions such as: Chile, South Africa, the Hawke's Bay and Waiheke in New Zealand, California and Washington. The grapes were fermented on their skins for a week to 10 days, pressed, clarified and then matured for 12 months in French oak hogsheads. The base wine was then bottle-fermented and aged on its lees for two years. Hugh, Johnson (2004). The Story of Wine (New Illustrateded.). Mitchell Beazley. pp.58 & p. 131. ISBN 1-84000-972-1.