Drink Northern Rhône Syrah before you die!
Why? Because this is the birthplace of Syrah, home to some of the oldest and most breathtaking vineyards in France. Back in the day, Bordeaux’s top châteaux even added some dark, beefy Hermitage to improve their own wines.
Ten Second Summary
- What it is: Syrah from the steep vineyards of France’s Northern Rhône.
- Tastes like: Blackberries, black olives, pepper, smoke, violets, cured meat, earth and savoury spice.
- Why it matters: The Northern Rhône is the historic benchmark for Syrah and the reference point against which Syrah and Shiraz around the world are judged.
- Prestige: Look to Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie.
- Value: Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage are usually better places to start without emptying your wallet.
- When to drink: Many are excellent from about 5 to 15 years old; the greatest bottles can age for decades.
Looking for more? Explore the best red wines to try before you die.
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| Hill of Hermitage and Chapel of Saint Christopher, Northern Rhône | © phbcz / iStock. Resized for web. |
Best Northern Rhône Syrah: 6 producers to try
If you want a shortcut to some of the best Northern Rhône Syrah, start with these six producers. Between them they cover the region’s five key red appellations, from monumental Hermitage to far more affordable Crozes-Hermitage.
1. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave – Hermitage
The benchmark. The Chave family has been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône for centuries, and its Hermitage is one of France’s great red wines: deep, authoritative, complex and capable of ageing magnificently.
Find Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage on Wine-Searcher
2. E. Guigal – Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
Guigal is one of the defining names of Côte-Rôtie, and La Mouline is one of the Rhône’s most famous bottlings: rich, perfumed, silky and unforgettable.
Find E. Guigal La Mouline on Wine-Searcher
3. Domaine Jamet – Côte-Rôtie
A more traditional and soulful expression of Côte-Rôtie. Jamet is loved for wines that combine perfume, savouriness and grace rather than sheer flash.
Find Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie on Wine-Searcher
4. Domaine Pierre Gonon – Saint-Joseph
One of the reference-point growers of Saint-Joseph. Gonon has helped show just how serious, characterful and age-worthy Saint-Joseph can be.
Find Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph on Wine-Searcher
5. Domaine Clape – Cornas
Cornas royalty. Auguste Clape was one of the producers who helped preserve the reputation of Cornas, and the domaine’s wines remain among the appellation’s greatest statements.
Find Domaine Clape Cornas on Wine-Searcher
6. Domaine Alain Graillot – Crozes-Hermitage
Alain Graillot proved that Crozes-Hermitage could deliver purity, structure and real class. This is a brilliant place to start if you want serious Northern Rhône Syrah without Hermitage prices.
Find Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage on Wine-Searcher
- Why Northern Rhône Syrah is bucket list worthy
- The five key Northern Rhône red appellations
- Hermitage
- Côte-Rôtie
- Saint-Joseph
- Cornas
- Crozes-Hermitage
- Where to find the best-value Northern Rhône Syrah
- How long to cellar Northern Rhône Syrah
- Northern Rhône Syrah FAQ
Why Northern Rhône Syrah is bucket list worthy
If you’ve ever enjoyed a Barossa Shiraz, you’ve got the Northern Rhône to thank for showing the world what this grape can do. Syrah and Shiraz are the same variety, but here the wines tend to favour pepper, violets, olives, smoked meat and savoury complexity over sheer fruit weight.
The landscape is part of the experience. Vineyards cling to steep slopes above the Rhône, often held in place by dry-stone terraces that have taken generations of back-breaking work to build and maintain. The views are right up there with the Douro and the Mosel.
Northern Rhône Syrah can combine power and perfume, meatiness and freshness, dark fruit and thrilling savoury complexity. These are wines capable of completely recalibrating your idea of what Syrah can be.
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| Syrah harvest in a steep Northern Rhône vineyard | © Stéphane Chalaye Photographie. Resized for web. |
The five key Northern Rhône red appellations
Northern Rhône Syrah revolves around five key red appellations: Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage.
Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie carry the greatest prestige, but Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage should not be treated as consolation prizes. In the hands of good growers they can produce superb wines, often at considerably less frightening prices.
Hermitage: hill of legends
Hermitage comes from one steep, sun-catching hill above Tain-l’Hermitage. The appellation is tiny, the vineyard area cannot simply expand, and demand for the best wines is considerable.
The reds can be deeply coloured, tannic and immensely long-lived, packed with dark fruit, pepper, smoke and savoury complexity. Until the 19th century, some top Bordeaux châteaux were even strengthened with Hermitage; wines treated this way were described as having been “hermitaged”.
Côte-Rôtie: power and perfume
Côte-Rôtie means “roasted slope”, an appropriate name for vineyards clinging to steep, sun-exposed hillsides above the Rhône. The wines can combine Syrah’s dark fruit and savoury power with extraordinary perfume and finesse.
Viognier may be planted alongside Syrah and co-fermented or blended into Côte-Rôtie, contributing to the appellation’s famously aromatic character. Great examples can smell of violets, smoked meat, olives, pepper and blackberries with something dark and stony underneath.
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| Steep Côte-Rôtie vineyards in autumn | © Stéphane Chalaye Photographie. Resized for web. |
Saint-Joseph: the insider’s Northern Rhône
Saint-Joseph does not have quite the glamour of Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie, but that is part of its appeal. At its best it offers pepper, dark fruit, olives, herbs, freshness and granitic savouriness in a slightly more approachable form.
Good Saint-Joseph can be one of the smarter buys in the Northern Rhône, particularly from producers working the appellation’s best hillside sites.
Cornas: Syrah at its darkest and most savage
Cornas is Syrah in a more forceful mood. Syrah is the only permitted red grape, and the wines are typically darker, denser and more muscular than those of Côte-Rôtie.
Young Cornas can be stern and imposing. With age it can become magnificent: smoke, black olive, leather, spice and deep earthy complexity layered over powerful dark fruit.
Crozes-Hermitage: Northern Rhône value with real pedigree
Crozes-Hermitage is the largest Northern Rhône appellation, which means quality can vary considerably. It also means it is one of the easiest places to find recognisable Northern Rhône Syrah without immediately emptying your wallet.
The best examples are peppery, juicy, savoury and deeply satisfying. In the hands of a producer such as Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage can deliver far more pleasure than its relative lack of prestige might suggest.
Where to find the best-value Northern Rhône Syrah
Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie make some of the greatest Syrah on earth, but greatness has become expensive. If you want the Northern Rhône experience without the prestige price tag, start with Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.
Crozes-Hermitage is usually the easiest entry point. Saint-Joseph can cost more, particularly from cult producers, but good examples still offer the pepper, dark fruit, olive and savoury character that makes Northern Rhône Syrah so distinctive.
Cornas was once another obvious value choice, although its growing reputation means that the best examples are no longer particularly cheap.
How long to cellar Northern Rhône Syrah
Northern Rhône Syrah can be one of the world’s great cellar wines. Crozes-Hermitage and many Saint-Joseph wines are often rewarding over the medium term, while top Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Cornas can evolve for decades.
With age, the fruit softens and the wines develop notes of leather, smoke, truffle, cured meat, olive tapenade and spice. If you are impatient, plenty of good bottles will already show beautifully after about five to eight years. The greatest wines can go much, much longer.
Northern Rhône Syrah FAQ
Is Syrah a type of Rhône wine?
Syrah is a grape variety rather than a type of wine. It is the great red grape of the Northern Rhône and forms the basis of Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage reds.
What are some good Syrah wines from the Northern Rhône?
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie from E. Guigal or Jamet, Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph, Clape Cornas and Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage are all excellent places to look.
What is Syrah called in France?
Syrah is called Syrah in France. Shiraz is the same grape variety, but the name Shiraz became particularly associated with Australia.
What is the best French Syrah wine?
There is no single objectively “best” French Syrah, but the greatest wines of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie sit at the very top of the hierarchy. Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage and the finest Côte-Rôties from producers such as Guigal and Jamet are obvious bucket-list candidates.
What is the best wine from the Northern Rhône Valley?
Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie are generally the Northern Rhône’s most prestigious red wines. Hermitage tends towards power and longevity; Côte-Rôtie often offers more perfume and finesse. Choosing between them is a rather enjoyable problem to have.
Is Châteauneuf-du-Pape northern or southern Rhône?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is in the Southern Rhône, not the Northern Rhône. It is usually Grenache-led rather than Syrah-led. Discover the best Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers and bottles.
Is Syrah sweet or dry?
Northern Rhône Syrah is a dry red wine. Its ripe dark fruit can sometimes taste sweetly fruited, but the wine itself is fermented dry.
Is Syrah the same as Shiraz?
Yes. Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape variety. The different names are often used as stylistic shorthand, but genetically they are identical.
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