A History Lesson in Shiraz

Shiraz (also known as Syrah) as a grape and a wine have a rich history globally. At Shackleton estate we are extremely proud of our vintage and the history of the vintage. As a general rule, most Australian and South African wines are labelled Shiraz, and most European wines (from such regions where varietal labelling is practiced) are labelled Syrah.

Shiraz grapes are a dark-skinned variety grown throughout the world, primarily for the making of strong red wines. The flavour of Shiraz grapes changes dramatically depending on the area in which they are grown. In Margaret River’s hotter climate we produce a more full-bodied grape with softer tannins, jammier fruit and strong spice notes of anise and earthy leather. Whilst throughout moderate climates Shiraz (more commonly referred to as Syrah in these conditions) produce medium tending to full-bodied wines with medium-plus to high levels of tannins and flavours of blackberry, mint and black pepper notes.

Shiraz (Syrah then) has a long documented history in the Rhône region of South Eastern France. It is the offspring of the Dureza (father) and Mondeuse blanche (mother) vines.  The wines that made the Syrah famous were those from Hermitage, on a hill above the town Tain-l’Hermitage in northern Rhône. Hermitage wines have had a reputation for being powerful and excellent. While Hermitage was quite famous in the 18th and 19th centuries, it lost its following in France and foreign attention of French Syrah in the early 20th century.

In 1831, the Scotsman James Busby, known commonly as the Father of Australian viticulture, made a trip to Europe to collect cuttings from vines (particularly from France and Spain) to be introduced to Australia. One of the varieties collected by him was Shiraz, though Busby used alternate spellings from the standard Syrah at the time, complicating its lineage. The cuttings were planted in the Sydney Botanical Gardens, and in the Hunter Region, in 1839 they were brought from Sydney to South Australia. By the 1860s, Shiraz vines had been established as an important variety in Australian viticulture.

Shiraz was first introduced to Margaret River in 1967 in the first vines planted at the Vasse Felix winery. Since then it has grown in popularity and has become one of the grapes and wines that has made the Margaret River region so renowned for its wines. Shackleton Estate is proud to be a part of this rich history and looks forward to the improvement of Shiraz wines from Western Australia.