A Shiraz by any other name is a Syrah

Rhone is on the rise-a fact that shouldn’t surprise, considering the enthusiastic welcome shown to France during the spring’s Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

New World drinkers continue to quaff only slightly diminishing amounts of Shiraz, but they could soon be heading for the steep slopes that are the hallmark of the northern Rhone-the heartland of Shiraz (make that Syrah) for over 1,000 years.

One of the Rhone’s best known names is as visible on liquor store shelves as the winery’s giant billboard that towers over the French valley. Not far from the celebrated l’Hermitage chapel, Paul Jaboulet’s massive barrel cellars are housed in caves that date back to Roman times. They’ve seen service as mushroom farms and even a well-concealed Second World War Luftwaffe workshop before their present incarnation.

The immense, artfully lit tasting room is worth a visit if you’re in the region. And, if not, you can taste some of the very ripe 2003 vintage at BCLS:

ù Crozes Hermitage Paul Jaboulet Les Jalet 2003 (100 per cent Syrah) sports a jammy top from this very hot vintage that could almost place it in another hemisphere but yields a fairly meaty palate ($24.98). For a little more, spring for Jaboulet Domaine Thalabert 2003, still very ripe with vibrant black fruit on the nose, black pepper and anise with herbal undertones ($36.95).

One northern Rhone label you won’t yet find belongs to Caves de Tain. This extraordinarily well run, modern cooperative (over 370 growers on both sides of the river) accounts for well over half the Appellation d’Origine Controll‚e (AOC) production in the north with well-crafted wines of excellent value. (We did our bit to support sales when we got to Paris and found the very drinkable lower tier at Maison Nicolas for around six euros).

You have to wonder why it’s not even on the radar in this country, especially when we know that the company is actively seeking agents. Hope for the ripe, floral and subtly oaked St. Peray 2004 (Marsanne Roussanne); the muscular but full-bodied and lifted fruit Cornas 2003; and the spicy, backboned and complex Crozes 2003. More on Caves de Tain when the wines show up, which they surely will.

While l’Hermitage gets all the glory (and commands the prices to match), characterful, often muscular wines such as St. Joseph and Cornas from the remarkable, even steeper, terraced right bank vineyards are worth seeking out.

At Domaine Courbis, Dominique and Laurent Courbis tend south and southeast-facing vineyards dating back to the 16th century, on some of the most impossible terrain anywhere. Some terraces (Les Royes) are so steep as to hold only one row of vines on each level. This small producer commands plenty of attention for its terroir-driven and technically sound wines, several of which (varying vintages) can be found at Marquis Cellars:

– Domaine Courbis St. Joseph White 2004. Mainly Marsanne with a touch of Roussanne: luscious melon, buttery and tropical tones, and lingering citrus. $32.90

– Domaine Courbis St. Joseph Red 2004 (Syrah). Generous palate of mocha and cherry with moderate tannins, well balanced, with 10 months in three and four-year-old oak. $34.90

– Domaine Courbis Cornas Champelrose 2004. (Syrah). From the oldest plantings, some dating from 1919 but most about 15 years old. Forward cherry and red current notes, with elegant mouth feel, silky hints, good acidity and still firm tannins that suggest putting it away for a while. $53.90

Source: vancourier.com