Alain Graillot Syrah Morocco Syrocco 2021

Syrocco is a Moroccan Syrah made with the Graillot family of Crozes-Hermitage, from vineyards in the hills inland of Casablanca.

The wine came out of a cycling trip: Alain Graillot stopped at Domaine des Ouled Thaleb, some 40 kilometres from the Atlantic, and a conversation with the then-oenologist Jacques Poulaine and a look at sites around Rommani and Benslimane convinced him that Morocco could produce genuinely elegant Syrah. Those towns lie between the ocean and the Middle Atlas at about 500 metres, so ocean breezes and altitude keep the climate cooler than the latitude implies, while red and black clay over limestone and ancient sea-bed remnants gives the soils their character. The Syrah vines run from 10 to 40 years old, averaging around 25. Vineyard work overseen by Stephane Mariot is meticulous, with goblet pruning, hand-weeding and hand-ploughing and no herbicides or fungicides. The fruit is fully destemmed and fermented in closed concrete vats, and the wine matures for 15 months, first in tank and then in large Burgundian oak casks.

Drinking well now and good for five to eight years. Serve at 16-18°C with lamb tagine, grilled merguez or roast eggplant with spices.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.