08.24.11
‘Syrah decline” is not just a viticultural malaise, but a marketing debacle. Touted as the next big thing, the widely-planted varietal suffered a fate worse than Merlot when Pinot became the darling of the trade. But savvy true believers are hedging with a gangly prefix that distinguishes a style that more closely approximates that of the northern Rhone than Australia—or Alexander Valley, for that matter. Four of the following wines mention
