Oh My Syrah
Five Syrahs from five (actually, four) places - one grape, different answers.
By Boris · Hosted by Boris Buliga
It all started with a party. After a tasting where Maksym showed up with a load of old bottles, we ended up at his place to continue the feast. At some point, he pulled out a 2005 Hermitage from Marc Sorrel. And, classically, we decanted it in a one-litre mason jar. And that wine hit me just right - maybe it was the alcohol talking, but I asked him to get me a bottle too. Figured I'd either share it with people... or not, depending on how things go.
Well before that night, I'd already picked up a Hermitage from Chapoutier and a bottle of Syrah from Timo Mayer. And for months, I kept wondering what to do with them - none of them quite fit into any lineup, and drinking them solo felt like a waste. But then, in Moldova, I randomly came across a bottle of Syrah from Romania (of course). And that's when it clicked: why not do a varietal tasting? As Oleksandr (the one we're always raising money for, so he can keep building drones) pointed out, I rarely do tastings centred on a single grape.
I knew everyone was a bit tired of all the drinking lately, but I told myself: even if no one shows up - or just one person - I'm opening these bottles. I'm not about to make an old Syrah suffer through a summer in storage. So any "maybe postpone?" messages got deferred to other tastings.
And in the end, I'm glad we did it. Glad people showed up. And especially glad it wasn't a crowd - smaller group, more focus. Just what these wines deserved.
Shape-sifter
Syrah is a shape-shifter. It can go from taut and peppery to lush and meaty, depending on where and how it's grown. Its spiritual home is the northern Rhône - Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas - where it shows depth, tannic spine, and a sense of age-worthiness that few other reds can rival. But it's also a grape that's travelled far: from Australia's more sun-soaked takes to high-altitude plots, volcanic soils, or borderline climates where it still somehow makes sense. When done right, it balances savoury and fruit, structure and drinkability. And it rewards close attention.
Tomislav Marković Syrah 2022
Not your average German Syrah. Tomislav Marković started in finance before moving into wine via Volnay and a stint with Domaine de Montille - and that Burgundian discipline shows. Since 2015, he's been building a tiny, exacting domaine split between Baden and Rheinhessen, farming biodynamically (but pragmatically), and producing just a few thousand bottles a year.
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Join to read it and the restTimo Mayer Syrah 2020
Yarra Valley, Australia. Timo is something of a cult figure - German-born, now making lo-fi, whole-bunch reds in Victoria. While most of Australia leans big and bold, Mayer's wines are light on their feet, spicy, and almost Euro in spirit. This Syrah is typically 100% whole-bunch, fermented wild, unfined/unfiltered. Stems are part of the story - giving it lift, crunch, and a wild herbal edge. No flash, just tension.
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Join to read it and the restCrama Ferdi Mister S. Ediţie limitată 2021
From Dealu Mare, Romania - a region better known for international grapes than local ones, and one of the few places where Syrah is making a dent. Crama Ferdi is a tiny, experimental winery, known for blending oak, extract, and ambition in equal parts. This Syrah is dense, spicy, and leans into ripeness, but still has enough structure to hold it. Ferdi's wines often divide opinion - and that's the point. This is Syrah pushed into a bigger, louder register.
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Join to read it and the restChapoutier Monier de la Sizeranne Hermitage 2017
A classic from a heavyweight. Chapoutier farms biodynamically (at scale), and Sizeranne is their main Hermitage parcel - mostly granite and clay-limestone, on the western slope. 2017 was a warm, early vintage, but Hermitage still brings muscle. Expect black olive, violets, dark fruit, and that telltale iron-mineral grip. Ageing is in large barrels, aiming for clarity over makeup. This is the polished, reliable face of Hermitage.
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Join to read it and the restMarc Sorrel Hermitage 2005
A rare beast. Sorrel was one of the old-school traditionalists in Hermitage - tiny domaine, working just a few parcels, vinifying with minimal fuss. 2005 was a strong, structured vintage. This is aged Syrah done right: leather, blood, forest floor, with tannins still alive but integrated. Zero flash. The kind of wine that teaches patience and restraint. Sorrel passed away in 2022; these bottles are becoming harder to find - and more meaningful.
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Join to read it and the restFrançoise Martinot Bistrøtage Affinage Prolongé Rosé B.11 NV
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Join to read it and the restUWC Samos Vin Naturellement Doux 1958
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