The final part of my benchmarking Shiraz and Syrah mini-series covers France, New Zealand and Chile (see also part one on South Africa and part two on Australia). The wines were tasted over the last few months at various tastings in London.
It's no surprise that Syrah from its homeland of the northern Rhône scores so highly – especially when the producers include such renowned names as Ogier, Perrin and Vernay. However, Hawke's Bay – Syrah's adopted New Zealand home – is close behind. Both are capable of producing wonderful expressions of cool-climate Syrah, where vivid black fruit and...