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 also expanded to 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 Syrahs run the full spectrum from elegant to bold. Here are my top 14 for best value, in no particular order.
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)
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
Black Market Syrah 2019 ($37.90)
This was the sixth Black Market vintage of Syrah, and I was fortunate to try them all.
The wine is a co-fermentation of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier in the classic Northern Rhone style. 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
This is a bolder, more concentrated Syrah with a slightly higher alcohol level than the 2018 vintage. It has intense aromas of violet, blueberry, and black cherry, followed by a hint of smokey bacon. Vibrant flavours of cassis, black cherry, and blueberry follow. 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.
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)
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 opens to beautiful aromas of black fruit, 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)
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)
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)
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.
Lake Breeze Syrah 2020 (The 2021 vintage is $33)
The Naramata Bench Syrah is from a vineyard one kilometre south of the winery. The grapes were picked on October 29th and pressed on November 13, 2020. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.
14% Alcohol. A deep, ruby, opaque red. The wine opens with the elegance of a Northern Rhône style Syrah. A gorgeous animated nose of violet, black plum, and blackberry, with a hint of pepper and earthy notes. The easy-drinking wine is dry and medium to full-bodied. Flavours of red and black fruit and savoury hints of olive, bacon fat, and white pepper. Vibrant acidity, soft dusty tannins and good length that will increase with age. Okanagan Syrah doesn’t get any better than this 2023 Wine of the Year. 94 Points.
Church and State Syrah 2019 ($40)
Fermentation and maceration in stainless steel tanks for 21 days. It was 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 west-facing and very steep vineyard provides excellent ripening. The Syrah is co-fermented with Viognier, which accounts for its deep colour and 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.
High Note Verismo Syrah 2021 ($35)
“The Verismo tradition is honest, raw, and uncompromising. It reflects a turn inwards, capturing the power of each fleeting moment.”
Sourced from Rattlesnake Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench and aged in French oak barriques.
14.3% Alcohol / pH 3.85 / TA 7.0 / RS 0.8
Full-bodied and fruit-forward with enticing aromas of floral violets, black cherry and baking spices. Flavours of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, black cherry, and smoked meat, with black and white pepper notes. Smooth tannins and a long finish. 93 Points.
Hester Creek Syrah 2021($29.99)
The 2021 Syrah was hand-harvested in late October. The fruit was hand-sorted and destemmed, allowing the whole berries to cold soak for two days. The Syrah was co-fermented with Viognier (7%) for 14 days in Italian Ganimede tanks until the desired extraction was reached. The juice was pressed off the skins and encouraged through malolactic fermentation. Using 60% American and 40% French oak, this vintage was barrel-aged for 14 months, blended, and bottled in late April 2023.
14.1% alcohol / pH 3.78 /TA 6.13 / RS 0.72
A captivating Syrah with vibrant aromas of black fruit and a hint of violets and white pepper. The full-bodied wine has ripe, smooth tannins with deep blackberry and blueberry flavours, leather, and more pepper. 92 Point
Chronos Syrah 2020 ($39.99)
The Syrah was fermented in 3 separate open-top tanks with daily punch-downs. It was then pressed and combined with French and American oak.
Alcohol 13.2% | TA 5.9 | pH 3.35 | RS 4.0
This elegant Syrah is ready to drink right now. It has delightful aromas of red cherry, blueberry, and herbs. On the palate, there are more cherry, blueberry, and coffee with a hint of baking spice. Silky fine-grained tannins lead to a lengthy finish. 92 Points.
Now for a BC Syrah for that special occasion.
Le Vieux Pin Équinoxe Syrah 2017 ($90)
The 2017 Équinoxe Syrah is comprised of fruit grown in various sub-appellations in the South Okanagan Valley. It is a traditionally made Syrah because the sum exceeds the parts. The resulting effort is a complex wine with a medium+ garnet colour that perfectly and effortlessly combines old-world and new-world styles.
2017 is a structured year. Harsh winter, late spring, and less-than-ideal weather initially lowered the yields and made for an impressive vintage for Syrah.
Full-bodied and fruit-forward, it is a cousin of the Aussie Shiraz I love from Rockford in the Barossa Valley. It has full-on aromas of floral violets, spice, black cherry, and plum. The flavours are raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, black cherry, and smoked meat, with black and white pepper notes. Smooth tannins and a long finish complete the profile. 94 Points.
You can expect those beguiling black olive and subtle notes to come to the foreground with age.
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 Massif Central’s foothills on the Rhône River’s right bank. Partly aged in oak barrels for 12 months.
Ensure 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
- Prices are rounded to the nearest $ and may vary between the winery and liquor stores.
- The article was updated in March 2024 with some more current vintages.