Syrah is a funny thing. Plant this grape in a hot, arid climate and you can create a wine with polished, corded tannins running over each other like the triceps of a character in a Sarah J Maas romance novel. Those wines are flashy and delicious and impressive, but if Syrah is planted in a colder site, exposed to cold winds in Crozes Hermitage and picked before the grapes have soaked up too much sunshine, the result is a buoyant, elegant, wine that combines earthy savor with brisk acidity and fruit. Marc Romak and Marlène Durand have been making this fresher sort of Syrah in the northern Rhone since 2009. With a constant eye on freshness and organic farming practices, they make this simple Vin de France in stainless steel tanks. The result is a masterclass on Syrah’s earthy palette. Aromas of black raspberry, tobacco, smoky soil and bacon fat – to be honest it smells a lot like an Italian beef sandwich. The palate shows plenty of ripe cherry and blackcurrant, dried herbs, iron and tar streaked earth. The body is substantial but lively, and a note of orange bitters blooms on the finish. This is a wine for burgers, corn, and other things off the grill.