I’m an equal opportunity scavenger. I have more syrah coming in than pinot and nebbiolo, which might not have ever happened before.
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Not all of those are worth buying IMO.
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David,
To each their own. I cannot afford Trollat, Chave, or Gonon. But I would be interested to hear what St. Joseph’s you find worthy to try and find. Cheers!
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Faury is good, but the rest meh.
St. Joseph prices have largely outstripped their quality IMO.
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IGP Collines Rhodaniennes
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Same here. More often than not, Syrah is what I want with steak.
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I’m kind of in Sarah’s camp. I like it, never order. Have some old Grange kicking around, a few Rhone Syrahs, even a de Negoce bottling. I like it, just don’t look for it. And I don’t like eggplant either.
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I’m totally with you Sarah. Once in a great while I’ll enjoy a syrah… but the variety just never calls to me. It’s funny because for some reason i always want to like it more…but i never do. Oh well…more for everyone else 
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Following up, I’ve bought more in the past year than the previous 10 years combined… I guess I’m an opportunist 
Syrah is also my #2, comprising 26% of the collection. Half of that is N. Rhone, followed by Santa Barbara County (my wife hails from Solvang), Sonoma County, and WA, which I’m just starting to explore (on that note, shout out to all the folks who have contributed to the various WA & The Rocks syrah threads & convos).
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Still think there is a ton of value to be found in NR. Now I am EU based so that might ofcause make me able to find the wines cheaper. But i have backfilled a lot in the past two years.
Bought a ton of Levet (no Améthyste), Barge, Jean-Luc Jamet, Gallet, Clusel-Roch etc. Only thing i paid more than 60€ for was Clusel-Roch’s Les Grandes Places.
Saint Joseph? Francois Dumas is my newest addiction but sadly hard to find. But i restocked on Guy Farge’s top wine at very low prices.
In Cornas i added a lot of Franck Balthazar, Verset, Mickael Bourg and Guy Farge among others. Only Balthazar’s Chaillot has cost a bit (65€).
And i think it is the easiest area to find everyday drinkers at less than 25€.
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I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve had from
Balthazar and Bourg so far. Both the reds and the whites.
I have not tasted Bourgs white yet. But else i mostly agree. Not a big fan of Balthazar’s CDR though.
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Maybe that’s my issue. I have steak maybe once a year. 
I love Syrah. Opened two last night. Both were 2016 that were very different but I would be happy to drink either whenever.
2016 Myriad Cellars Syrah 100% Whole Cluster Las Madres Vineyard - big, bold and complex with dark fruit, meat, earth, pepper
2016 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah North Coast - less complex but light and lively, a fantastic wine for $20
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I founded the Swiss Rhone Rangers 4 years ago and was immediatly hit with cease and desist letters by the Swiss attorneys of the Syndicat des Vignerons de la Côte du Rhône. This despite the fact that the same Syndicat has had absolutely no issues with the US Rhone Rangers whatsoever.
This got me going and I have doubled down on the war path they have chosen to take. It’s the main reason that I’ll be turning ITB in the near future by releasing true northern Rhone Syrah from its source aka Switzerland! To date, no Swiss entity was allowed to declare their wine grown on the banks of the Rhone River Valley as Rhone wine.
I have no beef with French wine growers. I really love their wines. It’s the Syndicate that’s got beef with the Swiss Rhone Rangers.
Needless to say, that I spent 4 years deep in Syrah randd and have grown to love the Rhone cépages even more. So much so, that I’ve decided to leave the Commanderie de Bordeaux after more than two decades in my Chapter.
During these last couple of years, I’ve grown extremely fond of Syrah from all walks of life. It’s a fantastic cépage.
Full disclosure: I’m not a wine merchant and I have not ever sold a bottle of wine. Ditto for my companies (altough I have bought an entity that, in the past, sold wine)
Meanwhile, I have also found out why the French wear their armour on their back!
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Don’t overlook the Collines Rhodaniennes. There are some excellent, usually approachable wines in that appellation, including some from big-name Northern Rhone producers. The best offer real syrah character. Jasmin’s Collines Rhodaniennes (~$20) has been a staple for me for a year or so.
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I have a few. 
I think Myriad makes some great and underrated Syrahs. I’m particularly a fan of the whole cluster cuvees.
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“And it blends so nicely with so many other grapes, although I’ve yet to be convinced that it’s a great blend with Cab. “
I agree in general that it doesn’t benefit from blending with Cabernet. The lone exception in my experience is Trevallon, and having tasted both components separately, I think I like the Syrah portion better on it’s own. And I guess that proves the point you were trying to make.
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