first reviews: 2009 and 2010 Petrichor Syrah from Sonoma County

This review requires a little bit of introduction as it shows how interconnected the wine business is.

During the time I worked retail in Napa Valley I met my fair share of visitors who were enraptured with the whole idea of living the vintner lifestyle but few had the depth of passion and financial means to pull it off. 

There are three notable exceptions to that list though; people who pushed past the ‘pipe dream’ stage and are leaving their mark in the business. 

Paul Lato, a Sommelier from Warsaw by way of Toronto who told me he was going to Santa Barbara to make wine in the early ’00s. Paul Lato is now considered one of the top producers of wine in the central coast. 

Tom Futo, a Wichita businessman and former client who enjoyed all of the wines I ever recommended to him (except the one he won’t let me forget), and then one day in 2004 asked me if I thought he should buy Oakford… the winery, not the wine. That property is now Futo.

The last guy is Jim Foley, a businessman from Central California I met in 2000 who I am happy to say was one of my most solid clients for years always providing great, thoughtful feedback on the wines I recommended. I started seeing Jim a lot more in the valley around 2004 when he told me he had moved to Sonoma. After that we would bump into each other periodically at wine events in the area. Last week I received an email from him inviting me to a small group tasting of his new estate-grown wine made by Duncan Arnot Meyers. I let him know that I couldn’t make it to the event but was able to arrange to meet him that afternoon to taste his wines;  the 2009 and 2010 vintages of Petrichor Les Trois; a Syrah (877 and 470 clones) and Grenache (Alban) blend. The vineyard was planted in 2003 and comprises 3.5 acres. 

2009 Petrichor Les Trois Sonoma County $48.00 DW92 premiere release

13.6% alcohol, 169 cases produced, 47SR877|39SR470|14GR

The nose provides an alluring mix of well developed, concentrated, balanced and complex aromas; olive, lavender, grilled meat, black plum, asian spice, cola, lilac and soy. Bright cherry flavors, with a mid-palate of licorice, lilac and black fruits are well integrated into a mineral-backed framework. Drink 2011 - 2018

2010 Petrichor Les Trois Sonoma County 

I tasted this wine simply for context. I agreed to not formally review it because it would be premature to do so. I however can say that it has many of the same elements as the 2009. I look forward to reviewing it next year.

If you are looking for new producers of top-level Syrah from the North Coast, this is an admirable newcomer, made by one of the top talents in the business. Production will grow gradually to the 450 case level, with the tantalizing possibility of a varietal Grenache bottling at some point.

Find the wine at Petrichor