Serine

Also known as: Syrah (worldwide), Shiraz (Australia)

Serine is the old name for Syrah in the northern Rhône – a name that some winemakers deliberately use to emphasise the origin of their grapes. The designation refers to the historical connection to the variety’s area of origin and marks a distinction from the international Syrah style. There is no ampelographic difference behind this, but rather an attitude: Serine usually means steep granite sites, old vines, spontaneous fermentation.

At Maison Stephan in Côte-Rôtie, Serine is the programme – Jean-Michel Stephan is one of the winemakers who consistently use the old name, thereby designating a way of working that has nothing to do with modern Syrah. Here, wines of precise transparency are created, without the power often associated with the variety.