Shiraz is the alternative name for syrah, which was popularized by Australians. Creekside's shiraz tastes a lot more like firm French syrah than the jammy bottles more typical of Australia. From a cool growing season, it's lean, but it delivers impressive varietal character, including that trademark French note of white pepper. Good effort. The wine currently is on discount for $14.95 at the LCBO until Oct. 9.