Syrah, one of the oldest grape varieties in the world
Did you know that the Syrah variety is more than 5,000 years old?
And that many people believe that the wine that Jesus supposedly drank at the Last Supper was Syrah?
This is Syrah’s introduction card. One of the varieties that accompanies our Monastrell in the blend of one of our most renowned wines, Alma de Luzon. But what does this variety contribute to Monastrell? What is its history? Which tasting notes can Syrah apply to any wine?
HISTORY
The name Syrah, if we pay attention to what Wikipedia says and although there is no general consensus, seems to come directly from the Iranian city of Shiraz, from what 5,000 years ago was ancient Persia, the approximate time when the cultivation of this variety, recognized today for its versatility and intense fragrance. Although it seems that the variety is so called since the beginning of the 19th century, it has been documented since the times of ancient Rome under various names, such as Shiraz, Sirah, Sérine, Candive, Hignin, Sira, Syra, Biaune or Balsamia.
Its extension to European lands is attributed to the return of the Crusaders from the Holy Land, an area where its cultivation was widespread, to France, although there is another version of the story in which this variety reached the Sicilian city of Syracuse in the Middle Ages and from there, it would have crossed the Strait of Messina, crossing Italy and settling in the Rhone Valley, the main cradle of this variety.
It was in 1982 when the Marqués de Griñón introduced the variety in Spain, being found for the first time in what is now the area of Vinos de Pago de Dominio de Valdepusa (Toledo).
Since then, it has been spreading throughout our country through the different Denominations of Origin of our country, finding the first single-varietal references in the area of Alicante or our own D.O., Jumilla.
GRAPE DETAILS
The Syrah grape is a variety accustomed to heat, which does not tolerate cold climates. The vine has a good body, erect, long shoots and multiple leaflets that help to differentiate it from other varieties.
The musts of this variety usually stand out for their attractive dark red color, soft tannins and marked acidity. For this reason, Syrah is a grape often used as a blending grape, applied to different Coupages that accompany other varieties.
On the nose we can clearly find black fruit, blackcurrant, violets and, in short, notes of forest fruits, a certain ripeness and some cinnamon and clove.
ALMA DE LUZÓN
Our Alma de Luzon keeps a 20% proportion of Syrah, and comes entirely from our plot “El Pocico”, a 20 year old dry-farmed and trellised vineyard, located next to Las Minas de la Celia, at 700m altitude with sandy-loam soil that provides grapes of great aromatic intensity and concentration.
This coupage between Syrah and Monastrell helps to enhance the fragrance of black fruit, offering much more expressive aromas and pushing the Monastrell and all its strengh, offering those notes of the forest typical of both varieties, exemplifying even more the result of a wine with 100% Jumilla character.
In mouth ve have a very succulent, providing a lot of body wine to enjoy, from sip to sip, and paired with all kinds of stews, grilled seasonal vegetables, short and medium cured cheeses, sausages, rice, grilled white and red meats.