Syrah Reserve – 2022

Syrah Réserve by Oliver Zeter from Terracotta Amphorae

Syrah Réserve by Oliver Zeter is a dry red wine from the Palatinate made from fully ripe, hand-picked grapes, matured for around 14 months in terracotta amphorae. Because a portion of the stems is fermented with the grapes, its aroma remains refined and fresh despite all its concentration.

Syrah Réserve 2022 by Oliver Zeter is a Palatinate red wine whose grapes are fermented together with a second variety from the Rhône and left on the skins for three to four weeks. At 13.5% ABV, it has power and a fleshy core.

Blue berries, black olives, and ripe sloes

In the glass, the Syrah Réserve by Oliver Zeter displays a finely etched, fresh bouquet in which plenty of blue berry fruit and a slight hint of iron come together. The fruit remains clearly defined, even though the grapes are only hand-picked at full ripeness. The winery had decided on this style in advance, focusing on refinement and freshness.

On the palate, it is fleshy and dense, with notes of black olives and ripe sloes joining the berries. The winery describes it as a wine with plenty of grip and great concentration. This density carries it effortlessly through a long evening at the table.

Ripening in terracotta and patience in the bottle

Oliver Zeter planted his first Syrah vineyard in Hambach in 2009, followed by a parcel in the Rhodter Rosengarten in 2013. The seedlings came directly from a nursery in Orange in the Rhône valley, and further sites followed later. On the south-east facing, hot, and mostly stony soils, this heat-loving variety finds enough sun to ripen fully.

After a long time on the skins, the young wine is pressed and placed in terracotta amphorae. A small portion matures alongside in barriques, and the wine remains in both vessels for around 14 months. The winery then bottles it unfined and unfiltered, so that it retains everything it brings from the cellar.

It then rests for at least another year in the bottle before being sold. Thus, the Syrah Réserve has already been around for some time when you pour it for the first time.

Lamb shoulder, saddle of venison, and grilled eggplant

A slowly braised lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary is an obvious partner, as its spiciness meets the wine's olive and sloe notes. Conversely, pink-roasted saddle of venison with elderberry sauce picks up on its blue fruit, as elderberry and dark berries are close in taste. Grilled eggplant with yogurt and herbs shows that it also holds its own at a vegetarian table.

At 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, the aroma and fruit show their most open side. A little air before eating, perhaps in a carafe, makes the tannins feel even smoother, which is especially true for such a dense red wine.

An older vintage, which was already largely matured in clay amphorae from Tuscany, is featured in the Syrah 2017. You can find all the wines from the winery in our selection on the Oliver Zeter page, and more robust red wines from Germany and Europe can be found in our Red Wine category.

Syrah Réserve 2022 – A red wine and its data

• Origin Germany
• Region Palatinate
• Oliver Zeter, Neustadt an der Weinstraße
• Grape variety Syrah
• Matured in terracotta amphora and barrique
• 13.5% vol alcohol
• 0.1 g/l residual sugar
• 5.0 g/l acidity