Santa Barbara, Syrah’s Second Home?

For more than a century, it was thought that the Petite Sirah grown in California was related to Syrah, one of the noble grapes of the world. It’s not. Now, fortunately, slowly but surely the grape we wanted all along is pushing its way in and pushing Petite Sirah out. And Santa Barbara County is leading the way.

While Syrah can be tannic and brawny, Petite Sirah is more so. And Syrah has much more evident and complex fruit on its side of the equation.

Those differences, which may seem small on the printed page, loom large in the glass. Syrah, for all of its mass and muscle, makes accessible wines in which one can taste its blackberry, occasionally gamy, sometimes spicy fruit, even when young.

Its fruit also can achieve the depth and richness we associate with great wines. And because Syrah-based wines age very well, Syrah has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the best red grapes in the world, ranking just after Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir in its native France.

On the West Coast, it is too soon to tell where Syrah will ultimately place. I am guessing that it winds up as our No. 2 grape. In its first decade, Syrah has proven that it likes our sunny vineyards, and it seems to be making very good wines all the way from San Diego County to Washington’s Columbia Valley. That kind of versatility ought to rocket Syrah ahead of the difficult Pinot Noir and allow it to challenge Zinfandel and Merlot.

Indeed, Syrah has nearly reached that status among those who buy wine to put in their cellars for long aging. If the grape proves to age as well here as it does in France, then its future as a fixture on the California wine scene is bright indeed.

In Santa Barbara County, Syrah has already become a contender as a leading red grape variety. While Pinot Noir still leads in acreage and fame, Syrah is arguably making better wines for many of the wineries that have added it to their rosters.

While the Santa Maria Valley will always remain strong in Pinot Noir, it was clear in my recent tastings of Syrah that the Southland has emerged as a place where Syrah has found a happy home. Almost 60% of the Syrahs tasted came away with commendations--almost double the rate for the rest of California.

$ 1998 Anapamu Cellars, Central Coast, $14. The rustic side of Syrah comes out in this wine. Its medium-volume blackberry fruit is matched by its tannins, and although grace and polish are not in its future, it does offer a big mouthful of wine at a reasonable price. In the Olken household, wines of this type are reserved for my brother Richard, who always thinks bigger is better.

* * 1997 Babcock “Black Label Cuvee,” Santa Barbara County, $35. Here is a wine of a different stripe. Its fairly broad aromas of blackberry, black pepper, oak and other woods are paralleled in flavors that come with the Syrah version of muscle yet those flavors never get heavy or coarse. It is fairly full in body and balance throughout and invites three to six years of cellaring. It should be great with lamb.

* 1997 Curtis Winery “Ambassador’s Vineyard,” Santa Barbara County, $20. The Firestone Tire family was among the early vinous settlers in Santa Barbara County and it has had a winery in its name for years. A second facility has been started just down the road with the intention of turning Curtis into a showplace, both as a facility for visitors and as a label for an upscale set of wines. This Syrah suggests that they are on the right track. Its aromas add an intriguing smoky note to the expected berryish fruit, and it all comes in a somewhat rounded, approachable style that is entirely consistent with its middling density flavors. Among all the Syrahs reviewed, this is the one I will reserve for Mrs. Olken, lover of “slurpy” wines.

* 1998 Daniel Gehrs Wines, Paso Robles, $21. I recently attended the Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Festival and had the opportunity to link up again with Dan and Robin Gehrs. In his younger days, Dan had an urban winery and was a regular member of our tasting panel. He moved to Santa Barbara County to make wines at Zaca Mesa but got bit by the entrepreneurial bug a second time. This wine, and his successful Dry Chenin Blanc, speak volumes about the wisdom of his choice. His 1998 Syrah is rich in oak with smoky and herbal elements mixing with fruit in nose and mouth. Only nominally tannic but firmed by acidity, this bright, youthful wine has room to grow with a couple of years in the cellar.

* * 1998 Jaffurs Wine Cellar, Santa Barbara County, $22. In 1998, Jaffurs made two very good wines. This is the cheaper of the two, but I still like it a little better for current drinking because it does not hide any of its generous blackberry fruit behind tannins and acidity. Rather, this vibrant wine simply bursts with ripe, sweet blackberryish scents and flavors accented with oak. While not overly tannic, it has the balance and depth to improve for several years.

$ 1997 Meridian Vineyards, Paso Robles, $13. A different take on Syrah, and one that is not likely to be confused with Petite Sirah. This light, candied, raspberry-toned wine is trimmed with hints of leather and herbs. While it is somewhat supple at the front of the palate, it firms and brightens with a twist of acidic tartness at the finish. It was enjoyed chez Olken recently with veal scallops sauteed with butter and lemon.

* * 1997 Orfila “Val de la Mer, Limited Bottling,” San Pasqual Valley, $24. All of our wine tastings are conducted “blind”--the bottles are covered and we know the variety and the vintage but not the producers. Not only does this ensure that any preconceived notions are left at the door, it yields wonderful surprises when the foil is removed from the bottles. Such was the case with this wine, which turned out to be the best we have tasted from San Diego County. It is a likable combination of juicy fruit, rich oak and hints of spice, and it has all the depth and expected tannins to hold it in good stead for up to half a decade.

* 1997 Fess Parker “American Tradition Reserve, Rodney’s Vineyard,” Santa Barbara County, $34. This wine, grown on the mesa directly above the winery, is a good example of the full-bodied, strongly scented character that Syrah can offer. It is a generous, ripe, gamy, noticeably tannic wine of the type that would overwhelm anything short of full-flavored meats like spit-roasted leg of lamb. The winery is worth a special trip, and you just might get lucky and be there on one of those days when the warm-hearted, bearish Mr. Parker is hanging out.

$ * 1998 Qupe, Central Coast, $13. I recently tasted three Syrahs from Qupe, all of them good, but two are much more expensive even while being fuller bodied and deeper. The third, a young, outgoing, pleasantly fruity wine, is open, soft and supple in feel with just enough tannin for grip. It is ready now, and it is worth its relatively low price.

* 1997 Seven Peaks Winery Shiraz, Paso Robles, $18. Shiraz is the name given to Syrah in Australia, and since this winery is substantially Australian-owned, the use of the Shiraz name seems appropriate. The wine is very California in styling with its full body and supple texture. The acidity in the finish recalls a bit of Australia, but only if one is looking hard for a connection. Ignore the “name game” and enjoy it for the pleasing bottle of wine that it is.

This column is based on tastings conducted by Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, a monthly newsletter devoted to the critical review of California and West Coast wines. Readers of the Times may obtain a sample copy by sending their name and address to: CGCW, P.O. Box V, Alameda, CA 94501, by calling or faxing, (510) 865-3150 or by e-mailing CGCW@aol.com.

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SYMBOLS

*** A world-class wine, superb by any measure, the top 1% to 2% of all wines tasted.

** An exceptional wine, well worth the effort to find, 10% to 12% of wines tasted.

* An admirable wine, tasty, focused, attractive, about 25% of wines tasted.

No rating: The best are quite pleasant and can be good buys when moderately priced.

$ Good value for the money.

X Below average quality, to be avoided.