Syrah, that cool, peppery grape native to France's Rhone Valley ... When Pinot Noir exploded at the middle of this decade, it became clear that American Syrah, along with other Rhône varieties ...

The Syrah grape produces some of the world’s most beautiful, satisfying wines. The fruit is dark and flavorful, and, when well-made, the wines are layered with earthy, meaty, and spicy complexity.

It’s all still the same grape. Granted, syrah has plenty of distance yet to cover, but it’s making major strides against the two big boys of red wine, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.