Top 12 Best Value BC Syrah

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BC Syrah or Shiraz?  That is the question. 

Born in Melbourne, my go-to red wine was a big bold Shiraz with steak on the Barbie.  Now living in the Okanagan my palate has expanded to also enjoy the Northern Rhône style Syrahs.

BC is small potatoes compared to the major Syrah/Shiraz growing regions, only 550 acres!

Syrah Wine Regions total ~460,000 acres worldwide (186,000 hectares)

France (169,000 acres) Côtes du Rhône: Cornas, Hermitage, St. Joseph, Côte-Rôtie
Australia (105,000 acres) Barossa, McLaren Vale, Limestone Coast
Spain (49,000 acres) Priorat, Montsant, Toro, Yecla
Argentina (32,000 acres) Mendoza, Salta
South Africa (25,000 acres) Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek
United States (23,000 acres) Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Napa, Sonoma, Columbia Valley (WA)
Italy (17,000 acres) Tuscany, Sicily
Chile (15,000 acres) Colchagua Valley, Maipo Valley

Syrah / Shiraz is only the fifth most popular red grape by acreage in BC with only 10% of the total red acreage as of 2019, but this red punches about its weight!  

If you are a Syrah novice please read Madeline Puckette’s definitive summary – The Secrets to Syrah Wine

BC Syrah’s run the full spectrum from elegant to bold.  Here in no particular order to my Top 12 for Best Value.

Orofino Syrah 2019 ($28)

Orofino Syrah 2019 ($28)

From a beautiful and cooler vintage comes another Similkameen Syrah. Grown on a single site up high above the river in Keremeos. Fermented with wild yeast, aged 16 months in French oak barrels (only 10% new) and then bottled unfiltered and with no fining agents added.   

A fabulous elegant Syrah. A gorgeous nose with violet, black plum, blackberry, and a hint of pepper and earthy notes. The palate is medium-bodied, with high acid, medium integrated and smooth tannins, a melting pot of red and black fruit, pepper, a touch of cedar and minerality on the medium-length finish. 93 Points.

NK’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2018 ($35)

NK'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2018 ($35)

Alcohol %14.7 / pH 3.78 / TA 7.01 / RS 0.31

Aromas blueberry, violets and spice. Flavours of black cherry, blueberry, plum, licorice, coffee and a hint of cigar. Dry, medium-full body and acid with fine-grained tannins that lead to a long and smooth structured finish. 91 Points

Kettle Valley Great Northern Vineyard 2016 ($24)

Kettle Valley Great Northern Vineyard 2016

Great Northern Vineyards is located on the bench above the Similkameen River in Cawston, in the Similkameen Valley. The soils are predominantly river rock, adding to the mineral complexity shown in the wine. The vineyards are owned by Colleen Ferguson and Janet Watts and the wine is produced by Kettle Valley Winery, Andrew Watts, winemaker. This wine is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier.

The grapes were hand-picked on October 11 and October 30, 2016, at approximately 25.0 Brix. The wine has gone through a full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 21 months before being bottled. 14.8% Alcohol.

Aromas of dark fruit and violets. Cherry, plum and blueberry flavours dominate with a hint of minerality on the long finish. Smooth tannins and well-balanced acidity. 90 points and an excellent buy at only $24.

Black Market Syrah 2019 ($37.90)

Black Market Syrah with Rack of Lamb and Tuscan Vegetables

This is the sixth Black Market vintage of Syrah and I have been fortunate to try them all. The first thing I noticed was the change to a paper label.

WINEMAKER NOTES

In the classic Northern Rhone style, the wine is a co-fermentation of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier. The grapes were harvested on October 22nd.  After de-stemming and a light crushing, the grapes underwent a 3-day cold soak.  After a slow and warm fermentation, the wine underwent another 14 days of maceration to extract more phenolic compounds. The wine spent 21 months in 33% new French and American oak barrels.

13.5% Alcohol / pH 3.55 / TA 6.7 gm/L/ RS 2.6 gm/L 

TASTING NOTES

This is a bolder more concentrated Syrah with a slightly higher alcohol level than the 2018 vintage. Intense aromas of violet, blueberry and black cherry, followed by a hint of smokey bacon. Vibrant flavours of cassis, black cherry and blueberry. The mid-palate brings freshness with notes of dark chocolate, espresso and cinnamon on the long finish. This is a young wine that based on tasting previous vintages will only get better this age. Rob’s passion for Syrah shines through in this vintage! 93 Points.

FOOD PAIRING

For cheeses, think soft and stinky to match the earthiness of the wine. For meats, roasted game, rack of lamb, smoked baby back ribs, or even a blue cheeseburger.

Winemaker’s CUT Syrah 2019 ($32)

Winemaker’s CUT Syrah 2019 ($32)

Vineyards – Estate Vineyard, Deadman Lake Vineyard, Oliver BC.

Winemaking – Cold soaked for 2 days, wild/spontaneous stainless steel fermentation.
Free run press and full malolactic fermentation. 6 months in American, French and Slovakian oak.

Technical Data – 13.5% Alcohol, 3.8 pH, 7.1 TA, 1.3L RS, free SO2 14mg/L

A juicy, luscious, full-bodied BC Syrah that is deep garnet in colour.  Decanting is recommended as it will open to beautiful aromas full of black fruit, black licorice, cured meat, and black pepper.

On the palate, the vibrant wine features ripe plum and blackberries, spice, and roasted beets. Medium-full-bodied and silky smooth with fine-grained tannins and spicy black fruit persisting on the refreshing finish. This Syrah is ready for long ageing. 92 Points

Bordertown Syrah 2017 ($35)

Bordertown Syrah 2017 ($35)

This wine is so dark red that it is almost black in the glass.  Another big bruiser. Aged in new and seasoned American oak barrels. Talk about a big nose…Montreal smoked meat, black pepper dark fruit!  

Flavours of black cherry, soy sauce, black olive, and dark chocolate with a smooth long finish. Decant two hours before drinking so that the Syrah is properly aerated.  Big, juicy and has enough acid to tame the black fruit. 91 Points

Moon Curser Syrah 2019 ($29)

Moon Curser Syrah 2019 ($29)

15.1 % Alcohol. This is a bold, smooth and richly textured Syrah. Aromas of black fruit with floral notes and flavours of ripe blackberry & blueberry, some smoke and earthiness and light pepper. It is full-bodied yet lively on the palate with moderate tannin and good length. 92 Points.

GOLD MEDAL – 2021 All Canadian Wine Championships

Dirty Laundry Kay Syrah 2020 ($29.99)

Dirty Laundry Vineyard Kay Syrah with Pizza

 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier with award-winning Syrah fruit from Oliver. Co-fermented with Viognier skins that have already had the juice pressed off. This technique echoes Syrah and Viognier’s heritage in the Rhone Valley in France. The co-ferment with Viognier helps to develop certain flavours and characteristics of the Syrah grape. The final blend goes through malolactic fermentation before ageing in French and American Oak barrels for 18 months.

14% Alcohol / pH 3.59 / TA 6.5 / RS 2.3

Aromas of violet, black cherry, cloves and nutmeg. On the palate, the full-bodied wine shows more black cherry, plum and dark chocolate with a hint of cracked black pepper. Silky smooth tannins, a round mouthfeel with a sensual peppery finish. Will age a further 5 years+. 91 points.

Church and State Syrah 2019 ($40)

Fermentation and maceration in stainless steel tanks for 21 days. Aged in French oak for 12 months.

Alcohol 14.5% |TA 5.4 gm/L | RS 2.8 gm/L

Aromas of red cherries with floral notes. Flavours of red cherries, raspberry, and black olives with notes of cranberries, green peppercorns and red currants. A smooth bold mouthfeel and long finish. It’s an easy-drinking red for right now. 92 Points

Tightrope Syrah 2018 ($35)

All the grapes for this Syrah were sourced exclusively from the Paisley Vineyard on the Upper Naramata Bench. This vineyard is west-facing and very steep, providing excellent ripening. The Syrah is co-fermented with Viognier which accounts for its deep colour and the floral hints on the nose.

The Syrah is co-fermented with Viognier (4%), which accounts for its deep colour and the floral hints on the nose.  This wine was fermented in small lots, of approximately 1 ton each and was cold-soaked for 5 days, before natural fermentation began.  Once fermentation was complete, the free-run juice was drained off and the remaining skins were gently pressed. The wine was barrel-aged for 12 months, in French oak – 50% new, with one barrel of American oak, for added complexity.

Alcohol 13.6% |TA 7.5 gm/L | RS 2.9 gm/L

Vibrant aromas of black fruit and violets. Flavours of blueberry, blackberry, plum, white pepper, licorice, cedar and leather. Medium-plus body with soft, silky tannins and a long lingering finish. 92 Points.

Hester Creek Syrah 2020 ($29.99)

This vintage was made primarily with handpicked fruit from the Golden Mile Bench estate and a small percentage from two local growers in Oliver and Osoyoos. The lots were fermented in Italian Ganimede fermenters then gently pressed, cross-blended and encouraged through malolactic fermentation.

Crafted in the Côte-Rôtie style, co-fermented with 15% Viognier to highlight the beautifully fresh floral and spice notes.

Aged in 60% American oak and 40% French oak barrels (2/3 were neutral barrels) for 14 months.

14.1% Alcohol / pH 3.85 / TA 6.23 / RS 0.17

A gorgeous Syrah with vibrant aromas of black fruit and a hint of violets and white pepper. The full-bodied wine has ripe smooth tannins with flavours of black cherry and blueberry, smoked meat, and more pepper. 92 Points

Now for a BC Syrah for that special occasion.

Le Vieux Pin Équinoxe Syrah 2017 ($90)

Le Vieux Pin Équinoxe Syrah 2017

The 2017 Équinoxe Syrah is comprised of fruit grown in various sub-appellations in the South Okanagan Valley. A traditionally made Syrah in the sense that the sum is considered greater than the parts. The resulting effort is a very complex wine with a medium+ garnet colour that perfectly and effortlessly combines elements of both old-world and new-world styles.

2017 is a structured year. Harsh winter, late spring and less than ideal weather initially all played their part to lower the yields and make for an impressive vintage for Syrah.

Full-bodied and fruit-forward, a cousin of the Aussie Shiraz I love from Rockford in the Barossa Valley. Full-on aromas of floral violets, spice, black cherry and plum. Flavours of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, black cherry, and smoked meat, with black and white pepper notes.  Smooth tannins and a long finish. 94 Points.

With age, you can expect those beguiling black olive and subtle animalic notes to come to the foreground.

To finish the article here is an exceptional Northern Rhône Syrah for comparative purposes.

Ferraton Père & Fils La Source /Saint Joseph

A pure Syrah red wine sourced from the foothills of the Massif Central on the right bank of the Rhône River. Partly aged in oak barrels for 12 months.

Make sure you aerate well before serving to allow the nose to open beautifully with aromas of smoked plums, espresso, black fruit and baking spices. Flavours of red fruits, smoked meat and licorice. The backbone of the wine is its minerality with chalky tannins punctuated by cedar, bay leaf, and cracked black pepper at the close. 92 Points

So what BC Syrah would you put on the Top 12 list for value?   Just leave your comments below.

Notes

  1. Prices are rounded to the nearest $ and may vary between the winery and liquor stores. 
  2. The article was updated in May 2023 with more current vintages.