Mosti Mondiale What is the difference in Syrah and Petite Syrah?

[tcb54]

I don't know if this the correct place to put this post, but since MM makes both I thought it might be OK here:


I bought a bottle of Syrah last night and thought it was somewhat similar to Shiraz. Maybe I haven't developed a discerning palate yet, but I thought it was similar. I haven't tried a Petite Syrah yet, but want to make one or the other of these kits.


My question is: What is the difference in Syrah and Petite Syrah wine?


Thanks to all you knowledgeable people out there for your answers...

 

[Jackie]

Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape--the Australians call it Shiraz.
Petite Sirah is different. I haven't had any so I can't explain it though.

 

[dfwwino]

To borrow from a post I made in another forum:


Beginning about 20 years ago, some California wineries began spelling "Petite Sirah" as "Petite Syrah." But Petite Sirah/Syrah is not the same grape as Syrah/Shiraz. If you are a Shiraz fan, you are a Syrah fan, i.e., it is one and the same grape, but that does not make you a Petite Sirah/Syrah fan. The Australians just renamed Syrah (not Petite Sirah/Syrah) as Shiraz, which I suppose was done to piss off the French and create market distinction. Therefore, if you want to make Shiraz, you should order a kit called either "Shiraz" or just "Syrah" without the preceding "Petite." MM has an Alljuice Shiraz, as well as an MM Master's Edition Outback Shiraz, an MM Renaissance Shiraz and the MM Meglioli Rojo Intenso is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. MM has an alljuice Petite Syrah, which is one of the very few kits for that grape variety. Petite Syrah is known for very dark, inkycolor, which makes it a good blending grape. Here's a good link to a discussion about the origins of Petite Sirah:


http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/petite.htm


Syrah is the principle grape in the Rhone region of France and is often blended with Mourvedre, Grenache and other Rhone grapes to make Rhone wines. It happens to be my favorite grape. Edited by: dfwwino

 

[tcb54]

dfwwino,


Thank you very much for your detailed explanation. Obviously, you know a great deal about this.


What would be the difference in the taste of Syrah vs. the Petite Syrah?


Thanks...

 

[Dean]

petite sirah is a very dark and VERY tannic varietal. Usually it offers bits of black pepper, but nothing really distinctive. Usually, it is just a "winey" type grape that adds color and tannin.

I like it, but I also like very strong black tea that leaves my tongue puckering. On its own, it tastes quite old world, which means, not much of a fruity taste like australian and californian wines offer. Last time I got down south into the US, there was a good selection of pure varietal petite sirah's to choose from at the wine store. They weren't that expensive, so maybe try a bottle of it to see if it fits with your tastes.

 

[Dean]

Oh, and DFW, if you ever come across a good rhone ranger california blend, please let us know. I love rhone wines, but can only drink sparingly as budget will allow. Remember that I'm from Canada, where even your cheap wines are taxed to death up here. Sad that a bottle of 2 buck chuck to you guys is a bottle of 12 buck chuck here.

 

[dfwwino]

Petite Sirah has high tannin levels, deep purple color, high acidity, all requiringaging. It has ablackberry fruit character, mixed with black pepper notes. It is often used for blending because it adds color and tannins to lighter colored wines with low tannins. Your best bet would be to buy a decent bottle and give it a try. I don't think the flavor profile descriptors do wine all that much justice as our taste buds and nasal abilities differ.


Syrah is full-bodied and the taste varies based on growing region and wnemaking style.It is usually described as berries, chocolate, expresso, black pepper. With aging, earthy, leathery flavors emerge. I recently made a Syrah/Carignan blend, and it exhibits the earthy, leathery flavors. Some may not like that flavor. The Shiraz Aussie style tends to be more fruity. Edited by: dfwwino

 

[Jackie]

My brother in law told me he had a petite sirah and thought it was the best wine he had every tasted--said it was almost black in color and very tannic (he likes wines with that "pucker" effect). Personally those wines just make me feel like I need water to go with it.

 

[dfwwino]

Oh, and DFW, if you ever come across a good rhone ranger california blend, please let us know. I love rhone wines, but can only drink sparingly as budget will allow. Remember that I'm from Canada, where even your cheap wines are taxed to death up here. Sad that a bottle of 2 buck chuck to you guys is a bottle of 12 buck chuck here.

Dean,


I feel your pain. Well, perhaps not. Here, I've been angry about US taxes when I can purchase wine in France for a $1.00 a bottle. This is what happens when the world is controlled by Neo-Prohibitionists.


I've mainly bought French Rhones, but when I was taking my wife on a winetasting tour in Santa Barbera near where I was raised, I had a tasting at Curtis Winery, which is now owned by Firestone Vineyards. Curtis specializes in Rhone varietals. I receive a quarterly shipment of two bottles, which costs me about $50 including shipping. This is my treat. I am too cheap to spend the money for the really expensive Rhone Ranger wines. I don't know how it compares to wines produced by other Rhone Ranger members, but I like it. Of course, I may have some bias due to the great time we had on that trip. We had just watched Sideways and hit all the local wineries. Here's a link to the Rhone Ranger profile on Curtis:


http://www.rhonerangers.org/wineries/member.php?id=78&action=search&WineryName=&City=&State=&Region=&Appellation=&Wine=&Tours=&Tasting=&RetailSales=

 

[trashy]

I always thought the petite syrah was the same grape as a syrah, just a bit smaller...

 

[TankCa]

Try the Concanon Petite Sirah, reasonable at $10 us and gives you a good feel for the variety.

 

[K&GB]

Check out the Wikipedia article on the Durif grape variety.