Saint George Shiraz Terroir Expression from Jordan, part of the range built to show what the Sama al-Sarhan terroir does to a single variety, Syrah grown at 630 metres on clay, limestone and basalt, giving a peppery, savoury red closer to the northern Rhône than to Australia.
Tasting Notes
Syrah in the Terroir Expression style is savoury rather than jammy. Expect black and red fruit carried by the black pepper and dried herb character the variety gives when it is grown somewhere with cold nights, along with the mineral, faintly smoky signature that the basalt soils at Sama lend across the Saint George reds. Medium to full bodied with firm but unaggressive tannins. The range exists specifically to show the ground rather than the winemaking, so oak is kept in the background.
Quick Facts
- Grape: 100% Syrah
- Origin: Jordan, Sama al-Sarhan, Oran Plains (clay, limestone and basalt soils at 630m)
- Style: Dry red, Terroir Expression range, certified organic
- Viticulture: Certified organic, yields held under two tonnes per hectare, no herbicides or chemical fertiliser
Food Pairing
Grilled lamb, mixed grill, spiced dishes, and aged cheeses.
Serving
Serve at 16 to 18°C. Open twenty minutes before pouring.
About the Producer
Saint George is the wine of Omar Zumot, whose father Bulos founded the family drinks company in 1954. The name comes from the church of Saint George at Madaba, beside which Omar planted his first vineyard using vines brought from France. The estate now farms three sites: Madaba on clay and limestone, Souf in the mountains of Jerash at 1,150 metres, and the principal vineyard at Sama al-Sarhan on the Syrian border, where basalt thrown out by the extinct volcano of Jabal Druze layers the soil and changes every half metre. All are certified organic. Sheep graze between the rows, irrigation comes from carp ponds that enrich the water with nitrate, and yields are held below two tonnes per hectare, around a quarter of the world average.
