Syrah is nowadays one of the freshest and more elegant grape varieties. It is probably one of the most exotic grapes in our country too, where it was hardly cultivated two decades ago. The legend says it comes from a town in the Shiraz region, in present Iran, and some Phoenician merchants may have introduced it in Europe via Marseille. However, some genetic studies have shown it is a grape native to the Alps, in the region of the Rhone, and as a matter of fact one of the most distinguished ones.

Due to its characteristics, its introduction in the estate Dehesa del Carrizal started in the late 90s. The climate and type of soil at the estate favoured a level of grape ripeness very similar to the one achieved in the region of the Rhone. Consequently, the estate committed itself to an almost unknown variety in Spain at the time; it had promise since it could add unique nuances to the wines Dehesa del Carrizal.

Its black berries with purplish tones are very flavourful, sweet and a little spicy. Harvested at its optimal moment of ripeness, they bring about the production of wines with a low acidity and a good tannin structure, although sweet and with really fruity, spicy and floral aromas. The 100% Syrah wines produced at Dehesa del Carrizal are very elegant, almost “feminine”, appealingly sweet and full of flavour. Our commitment to this Alpine variety turned out to be a truly smart idea which resulted in excellent vintages, not only in recent years —2012 and 2011— but also in 2008 and 2005.

Dehesa del Carrizal’s Syrah has obtained plenty of prizes and awards, such as the prestigious Gold Medal at CINVE 2015 (Syrah 2011) and the Silver Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2014 (Syrah 2009). For some years now, the Syrah grape has been proclaimed as the great hope of red varieties in Spain, thanks to the freshness and elegance it confers to the wine. It is a perfectly adapted variety in countries such as Australia, where it yields excellent results, being the Australian Syrah (known there as Shiraz) varietals among the best ones in the world. In other regions, such as California or Chile, it has also been introduced with very satisfactory results.