Cabernet Sauvignon has always been the undisputed king of wines in California, producing high-end cult wines with minuscule production and stratospheric prices. Half a world away in Australia, Shiraz (known in the States as Syrah) has long been the king of that country. It seemed only a matter of time before the two grapes from these great countries formed an alliance. In the case of the Cabernet/Syrah blend, the sum is greater than the parts.

Cabernet Sauvignon, specifically traditional Napa Cabernet, has usually been a tightly wound wine with strong tannins and intense fruit that begins to express itself after years of aging. Australian Syrah also leans toward an austere, unapproachable wine. In the United States, Syrah grows so vigorously that it can produce wines of such diverse styles.

The recent move to blend Cabernet and Syrah is producing wines that are more approachable in their youth, something people want to drink now, rather than later. These new wines have gobs of fruit, depth, structure, and balance, making them easier to pair with food.

Many wineries, like the Justin Winery in Paso Robles, began by blending Cabernet and Syrah from within the same American Viticulture Area (AVA), a federally recognized growing region. “This area has the highest planting of Syrah grapes in North America and we wanted to be representative of the Rhône side of things,” says owner Justin Baldwin, referring to the Rhône region of France where Syrah is known to produce world-class wines. Their focus has always been on blended wines, in part because Syrah is a wine that’s not easy to sell on its own. “From a marketing perspective it’s more accepted to have a blend with a proprietary name,” he notes. Therefore, they created Savant from their estate fruit. The response has been tremendous.

Others take a multi-region approach. Carina Cellars, located in Santa Barbara County, began their blend in 2000 by using Syrah from Santa Barbara and Cabernet from Napa. The first vintage materialized when winemaker Joey Tensley was offered high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Howell Mountain. “After tasting both wines and pondering them, I thought ‘let’s blend the best of both worlds,’” he says. Having Napa fruit is a huge boost; however, the Syrah comes from Colson Canyon in Santa Barbara, known locally as one of the best plots to source excellent Syrah grapes. The result is Iconoclast, one of the premium blends coming out of the county.

But it was the Aussies who started it first. The Cab/Syrah blend may seem like a new trend, but Down Under it’s been done for decades. “Cabernet and Shiraz are a perfect match for each other,” says winemaker Scott McWilliam of McWilliam Wines, one of Australia’s oldest family-run wineries. “Cabernet in Australia tends to have a huge front-palate fruitiness along with lingering tannins on the back palate, but the mid-palate is not as strong,” he notes. And this is where Shiraz comes into play, since it has a great mid-palate strength, according to McWilliam, and it fills the hole left by Cabernet. “This effect creates both balance and depth of flavor creating greater complexity,” he says, though the percentages of the varieties vary from year to year. “Blending produces synergies and most wines are a blend of some type, whether it be a blend of the same grape variety from different regions or different varieties from the same region.”

California Cabernet/Syrah blends are a fusion of New World and Old World sensibilities. Some have dubbed them Super Rhônes, New World Syrahs, or Bordeaux-Rhônes.
“It’s kind of a yin-yang phenomenon,” says Kerry Damskey, winemaker and co-owner of Palmeria Winery in Napa Valley. “Cabernet can be rich, dense, like a meal in itself. Syrah is typically edgy, sometimes a bit harsh, and magically, the two together transform into a softer, more exotic, feminine style of wine,” he adds. “In light of the recent fame of Pinot Noir, reputed for its feminine qualities, this varietal blend may be the next trend to appeal to the American taste.”

Interestingly, Justin Baldwin created a Cabernet/Syrah blend nearly 20 years ago, long before it was ever fashionable. It was called Bin 24 back then (the 24 referring to his wedding anniversary date), proof that there is really nothing new under the sun—just better and more refined examples of it.

Best Blends Cab/Syrah blends are catching wine lovers’ imaginations like nothing else. Here are a few examples of the best of the blend. Carina Cellars 2006 Iconoclast ($60) Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Santa Barbara Syrah conspire to create a wine that leaps out with black currant and black pepper spice, and the tannins on the palette are surprisingly soft. This is a flirty wine; it doesn’t announce itself all at once, but will charm you over time. www.CarinaCellars.com Justin Winery 2006 Savant ($45) All estate fruit from Paso Robles, the mid-palate balances the bright fruit of Syrah with the power and acidity of Cabernet. There’s plenty of Cab fruit , but it’s treated gently, and the softness, the lithe raspberries, slight pepper notes, and judicious use of oak make this a very lush wine. Hints of coffee, vanilla and butterscotch round it out. www.JustinWine.com

McWilliam’s 2001 “1877” ($100) Named for the first year they planted their vineyards in New South Wales, the 1877 has a nose filled with spicy blackberry, blueberry and mocha overtones. The incredibly soft tannins and dark cherry and raspberry fruit with the slightest hint of mint and eucalyptus will linger like a sunset over the Great Barrier Reef. This is a plush wine with the restrained and slightly gamey quality for which Australian wines are known. www.McWilliamsWine.com Caduceus 2005 Nagual del Sensei ($95) Another Napa Cabernet stunner, but with Paso Robles Syrah this time. The juice is fermented separately then blended and left in the barrel for 12 months. There’s loads of blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry, with threads of mint and mocha and a strong acidic structure. This is a hefty, very pleasurable wine, not for the timid or meek. Though the fruit is from California, the wine is actually made in Arizona. www.Caduceus.org