Why does Syrah taste like pepper

WINE TALK
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Agreed. Pelaverga can be quite spicy, but never had one that would show black pepper-y rotundone character. White pepper might be a closer reference, yes.

I’ve had that Bellivière Le Rouge-Gorge, but while I found it peppery, I’ve described the quality as “pink pepper” in my tasting note.

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Why does syrah taste like pepper?
Thinking about it white and black peppers are so different as to be entirely separate spices- in cooking nowadays we often use black pepper when we really mean white. Pineau D’Aunis does have that slight insecty-weedkiller-tomato vine smell that we associate with white pepper, very distinct from the rounder black of Syrah.

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Yeah, that’s a good point. Black pepper specifically and even maybe green pepper are things that I associate with underripe Syrah specifically. I would agree the Pineau d’Aunis is more to the pink or white side of things and Pelaverga I associate with white pepper.

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Funny, I associate black pepper with syrah that hasn’t been excessively over-ripened. :wink:

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This.

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The peppery notes in Syrah come from compounds like rotundone, which gives it that signature spiciness. In the Rhône, Syrah is often blended with Grenache, which adds ripe fruit, herbs, and a bit of sweetness. Together, they create a beautiful balance—Grenache softens Syrah’s intensity, while allowing those peppery notes to shine through. The result is a wine that showcases the best of both grapes, with the Rhône’s warm climate contributing to the richness and depth of the blend. It’s a classic combination that highlights the region’s diverse terroir and winemaking traditions.

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Is this chat GTP again? That’s a crazy generalization about the Rhone. I wouldn’t even say it’s particularly true in the southern Rhone, but definitely not the north.

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Thanks for the feedback…. Revised.

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  1. Wood, C., Siebert, T. E., Parker, M., Capone, D. L., Elsey, G. M., Pollnitz, A. P., Eggers, M., Meier, M., Vössing, T., Widder, S., Krammer, G., Sefton, M. A., & Herderich, M. J. (2008).
    From wine to pepper: Rotundone, an obscure sesquiterpene, is a potent spicy aroma compound. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(10), 3738–3744. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf800183k

This study identified rotundone as the compound responsible for the peppery aroma in Shiraz wines and reported that approximately 20–25% of participants were unable to detect rotundone, even at high concentrations, indicating a specific anosmia.

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  1. Geffroy, O., Descôtes, J., Serrano, E., Li Calzi, M., Dagan, L., & Schneider, R. (2018).
    Can a certain concentration of rotundone be undesirable in Duras red wine? A study to estimate a consumer rejection threshold for the pepper aroma compound. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 24(1), 88–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12299

This French study found that 31% of participants could not detect rotundone at concentrations of 200 ng/L, further supporting the existence of specific anosmia to this compound.

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  1. Gaby, J. M., Bakke, A. J., Baker, A. N., Hopfer, H., & Hayes, J. E. (2020).
    Individual differences in thresholds and consumer preferences for rotundone added to red wine. Nutrients, 12(9), 2522. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092522 

This study conducted in Pennsylvania reported that approximately 40% of participants were anosmic to rotundone, extending evidence of specific anosmia to a North American cohort.

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Back in 2011 (I had to check CT to remember the date) I opened a 2006 Juge Cornas at thanksgiving lunch and my father asked me if there was pepper in it. I have one left. Will be interesting to see if that note is as prominent now.

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Thanks. I had no idea that up to 40% of people could not detect black pepper. I wonder how do they stay in business?