This is an advanced article discussing the nuance of French Syrah wines from the Northern Rhône. If you’d like to find out more about the Rhône Valley and Côtes-du-Rhône in general, check out this article.
While DNA research suggests Syrah originated in southeastern France, the Northern Rhône remains the benchmark region for the variety.
No other region has shaped the global identity of Syrah more than the Northern Rhône, which packs an extraordinary amount of diversity into a relatively small stretch of vineyard land. In fact, beyond just reds, three other grapes are a big deal here: Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
Let’s explore the Northern Rhône from north to south and uncover what makes each appellation distinct.
Wines of the Northern Rhône
Côte Rôtie
Côte Rôtie or “roasted slope” is one of the most important appellations for French Syrah (alongside Hermitage and Cornas). Top examples deliver layers of black raspberry, black currant, violet, and chocolate along with savory hints of olive, bacon fat, white pepper, and powerful charcoal smoke. They are bold yet precise with fine-grained tannins.
The greatest Côte-Rôtie vineyards occupy steep south-facing slopes on the Rhône’s right bank, sheltered from cold northern winds. Just as important, clay-rich soils with decomposed schist and mica produce the appellation’s most structured wines. Sandy-granite soils dominate the center and south, producing more floral aromatics.
- 100% Red Syrah with a small caveat that producers can blend up to 20% Viognier (although most do no more than 5%). Producers who bottle varietal Viognier cannot use the Côte-Rôtie AOC.
- Expect to spend: $60–$400
- Area under vine: 823 acres / 333 ha (2022)
- Established: Oct. 18, 1940
Condrieu
The largest white wine appellation in the Northern Rhône produces rich, opulent wines made with 100% Viognier. Condrieu remains relatively limited in production. That said, these wines have become much easier to find internationally than they were a decade ago. Expect flavors of tangerine, papaya, lime peel, and green almond layered with notes of gingerbread, macadamia nut, and allspice.
As a result, Condrieu’s naturally low acidity and generous texture often make these wines most enjoyable within 2–5 years of release. Vineyards sit on narrow terraces, with Condrieu, Vérin, and Saint-Michel forming the appellation’s northern section.
- 100% White Viognier
- Expect to spend: $50–$150
- Area under vine: 531 acres / 215 ha (2022)
- Established: April 27, 1940
Château Grillet
The tiny monopole appellation of Château Grillet covers just 4 hectares and is produced by a single estate. Oak maturation adds texture and complexity reminiscent of a full-bodied Chardonnay. At the same time, Château Grillet typically shows less ripe fruit than Condrieu, with notes of starfruit and white peach, along with a smoky hint of gunpowder and butterscotch. Like Condrieu, these wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release.
- 100% White Viognier
- Expect to spend: $100+
- Area under vine: 10 acres / 4 ha (2022)
- Established: 1936
Saint-Joseph
Saint-Joseph remains one of the Northern Rhône’s strongest value appellations for French Syrah. Quality varies significantly, making producer selection especially important. Because of that, the flavors of Saint-Joseph wines range from spicy, with notes of olive and black pepper, to richer, more complex wines similar to those found in Côte Rôtie.
Like Condrieu, these wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release. Soil types gradually shift from north to south. Geologically speaking, the northern sections share many of the same clay-granite soils found in Condrieu or Château Grillet. Vineyard position strongly influences quality, creating excellent value opportunities. As they say, “French Syrah likes a view,” so if you happen to see the wine coming from a sloped vineyard, it’s often a reliable indicator of higher-quality fruit.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of Saint-Joseph, south of Sarras, there are more thin soils of marl (clay + lime) and acidic granite. These wines tend to get a bit spicier, fresher, and more floral (in this case, like black peppercorn); because of the spice, it’s fun to seek out something a little older to try.
The white wines from the region are also well worth a try, with the medium-bodied flavors of lemon, pear, quince, honeycomb, and orange zest and a long, subtle herbal finish. They often have rich, bold and remarkably expressive aromatics.
- 87% Red / 13% White Syrah and Marsanne/Roussanne blend
- Expect to spend: $28–$90
- Area under vine: 3,341 acres / 1,352 ha (2022)
- Established: June 15, 1956
Crozes-Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage is the largest appellation in the Northern Rhône and is often confused with Hermitage (the fine-wine micro-region). Its wines range from straightforward everyday bottlings to some of the region’s most compelling French Syrah. Much of that variation comes down to vineyard location.
Vineyard location plays a major role in style, particularly the distinction between the flatter plains and the steep granite slopes. While this doesn’t affect the east- and south-facing sloped vineyards in the region (which are known for outstanding wines), west-facing sites often produce wines with more savory and herbal characteristics.
Still, the wines here are quite perfumed, with suave notes of violet and fresh berries, along with keen acidity and tannin. Many vineyards in the region are on pebble-covered terraces with granite-clay soils and a blend of sand (sand usually bumps up the floral aromatics and also seems to lighten the color).
- 90% Red / 10% White Syrah and Marsanne/Roussanne blend
- Expect to spend: $20–$60
- Area under vine: 4,368 acres / 1,768 ha (2022)
- Established: March 3, 1937
Hermitage
Hermitage Hill is famous for its powerful, age-worthy French Syrah wines, which often benefit from 5-15 years of bottle age. When you do, you’ll be greeted with complex aromas and layered flavors such as blackberry, black currant, licorice, coffee, candied cherry, and smoke.
Besides Syrah, the hill also produces some outstanding age-worthy white wines that blend Marsanne and Roussanne. Wines from this area do not come cheap for two reasons: one, the wines consistently rank as the best in the Northern Rhône, and two, Hermitage has a storied history, which add another layer of fascination.
Viticulture on Hermitage Hill dates back to antiquity, making it one of France’s most historic winegrowing sites. The popular story of Hermitage, though, is of a 13th-century (1200’s) crusader who was wounded and sought refuge on the hill. He built a chapel and lived out his life in complete solitude. Thus, the hill was named “Hermit’s Hill” or Ermitage. Today, the reconstructed chapel known as La Chapelle stands near the crest of the hill.
The soils of the three hills change from more granitic clay soils and some loess (windblown yellow-gray micro soils) to more sandy clay with glacial deposits (e.g., rounded alluvial stones). So you can expect the wines from the more sandy/glacial soils to have a little less tannin out of the gate and probably be more lush and drinkable early on, whereas the granitic clay and clay/limestone sections should produce wines with more tannin and body. It will all depend on the producer (and what they do in the cellar) and on the vineyard’s viticulture.
- 69% Red / 31% White Syrah and Marsanne/Roussanne blend
- Expect to spend: $60–$350
- Area under vine: 336 acres / 136 ha (2022)
- Established: March 4, 1937
Cornas
Typically the boldest and most tannic expression of all the Northern Rhône Syrah wines, Cornas delivers tongue-staining flavors of blackberry jam, black pepper, violet, charcoal, chalk dust, and smoke, followed up with grippy, intense tannins. Many producers and critics recommend waiting about a decade for the tannins to soften and the wines to reveal more kirsch and licorice flavors. However, some producers have started practicing more modern techniques to deliver a softer, smoother wine right on release.
“The boldest and most tannic of all the Northern Rhône Syrah.”
The highest-rated vineyards are up the hill behind the city of Cornas, where primarily granitic clay soils support steep terraces. As you move south of the city towards Saint-Peray, the hills become shallower, and the soils contain much more sand. As you can probably already imagine, sandy sites often produce the most approachable young Cornas wines.
- 100% Red Syrah
- Expect to spend: $30–$200
- Area under vine: 393 acres / 159 ha (2022)
- Established: August 5, 1938
Saint-Péray
White Rhône wines made with Marsanne and Roussanne range in taste from lean citrusy notes of lemon, linseed oil, pear, and fennel to richer flavors from being fermented in oak barrels that can deliver baked quince, Meyer lemon, beeswax, and butterscotch. These wines are medium to full-bodied and, depending on the acidity, can develop more nutty almond and hazelnut flavors from just a few years of aging.
Saint-Peray is the southernmost appellation of the Northern Rhône, a tiny valley beyond a forested hill overlooking the Rhône River.
Sparkling wines account for about one-third of production and are made mostly from Marsanne. Many Rhône producers favor Marsanne for its citrus, floral, and beeswax flavors with balanced acidity. Most wines will contain nearly all Marsanne, while small amounts of Roussanne contributes citrus peel, floral lift, and added complexity. The best vineyards are on a limestone outcropping, which increases the longevity of these wines by raising acidity.
- 100% White Marsanne and Roussanne
- Expect to spend: $18–$50
- Area under vine: 274 acres / 111 ha (2022)
- Established: December 8, 1936
Final Thoughts on Northern Rhône and French Syrah
By now, you should have a clearer picture of how dramatically Syrah can change across the Northern Rhône. An affordable way to taste these wines is to look into the declassified regional wines labeled Collines Rhodaniennes, which blends several Northern Rhône appellations.
Vintage variation remains one of the most important factors when evaluating Northern Rhône wines. While expensive producers will produce great wines year in and out, the value wines are where to seek out great vintages.
Good Vintages for Value Reds:
- Excellent: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
- Very Good: 2021
- Promising 2023