New World: Shiraz/Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre & Rhône Blends, Rest of the New World
2016 Gold: 2 Silver: 13 Bronze: 9 Commended: 16
2015 Gold: 4 Silver: 11 Bronze: 9 Commended: 9
It’s obvious that the New World outside Australia has got its eye on Shiraz/Syrah: entries here have grown significantly over the past three years, and the medal count has grown with them.
For the most part, our tasters are happy with what they’re seeing. There’s plenty of fruit, but the wines tend to be balanced, and wineries, for the most part, seem to be resisting the temptation to over-extract or over-oak their creations, which is good to see.
That said, this is clearly very much still a variety that’s finding its feet in countries like Argentina, Chile and South Africa, which perhaps explains why the number of Golds was half that of last year. Another explanation, of course, could be the vagaries of vintage. This is definitely a factor in New Zealand, for instance, with 2014 (unsurprisingly) not hitting the stellar heights of 2013.
Overall though, this was a positive category, with lots of really good wines around the £10 mark. They’d be easy to sell and easy to like. Well worth a look.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘The pricing of the South African wines was an issue. It was ambitious. You can find a lot better value-for-money wines than a lot of what we had here. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Shiraz is the future in Stellenbosch.’ Piotr Tomaszewski, JKS Restaurants
‘The NZ Syrahs had a good acidity and the tannins were generally well integrated, with an attractive spiciness. The only problem is that while customers would be curious, they would probably still end up choosing a Pinot Noir!’ Adriana Valentini, Massimo Restaurant & Bar
‘There’s still a feeling that New World versions are muscular and powerful, and as long as they are in balance, I think that’s where they work best, to be honest.’ Giancarlo Cuccuru, Brackenbury Wine Rooms
‘It’s nice to have such a variety – some were lighter, ethereal and perfumed, and some hit with the classic strong character of the blend.’ Robert Mason, Cheese at Leadenhall
‘There are some very interesting Chilean examples from those winemakers who are letting their minds run wild a bit.’ Angela Reddin, team leader
‘Really very good value for money. As a guest I’d be happy to pay up to £70 for some of these Argentinian wines.’ Olivier Marie, team leader
“We get a lot of people looking for Shiraz/Syrah now.” Giancarlo Cuccuru, Brackenbury Wine Rooms
“These are very seasonal wines – real autumn and winter bottles.” Piotr Tomaszewski, JKS Restaurants
“The Chileans were great quality overall. They would sell like water in a grill restaurant.” Erik Simonics, The Savoy