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From hill and vale: A South Australian homage to Syrah and the Rhône

While Australian Shiraz is a brand in its own right, many producers look to the Rhône for inspiration, preferring to label their wines Syrah. But how far does the comparison extend? Matt Walls visits McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills to find out – and recommends the top Syrahs to try.

Barossa Shiraz is a style of wine even non-drinkers have heard of. It has the kind of brand recognition other regions would kill for.

It’s a bit like Châteauneuf-du-Pape in that respect. Even people with no interest in wine have often heard of it, even if they haven’t tasted it.

The similarities don’t end there. Châteauneuf might be typically Grenache-dominant, but thanks to a hot and dry climate, both of these regions make famously concentrated, opulent, potent wines that can age for decades.

Neither are particularly fashionable, despite the fact the very best of their respective styles can be profound, complex and unmistakable wines of place.

So, if Barossa can be equated to Châteauneuf, can we compare other South Australian regions to parts of the Rhône? I think we can.


14 superb Australian Syrahs with an Old World slant listed below



Matt Walls’ selection of the finest Syrahs from Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale


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