2021 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
Tasting Notes
Initially, the idea for Loup Solitaire was to use fruit from the lower part of my vineyard for this bottling, but all the pinot got declassified in the drought year of 2021. So, there’s no Kendric pinot for 2021, but the Loup benefits from getting the best grapes in the vineyard, for this year at least. My second label pinot noir, designed to be affordable and ready for early quaffing.
Vineyard
Kendric Vineyard, Marin County/Petaluma Gap (An “Estate” bottling except that the vineyard and winery are in separate AVAs.) Off San Antonio Rd., between Novato and Petaluma, west of Olompali State Park, 8.5 acres on ENE facing slope
Elevation 250’
Planted 2002
Loam topsoil, clay loam subsoil from sandstone and shale parent material
Clones 37 (Mt. Eden), 115. Pommard and Martini on 101-14 and 3309 rootstock
2.5 tons/acre, hand-harvested in several picks Sept 9 - 15 at ~23 brix.
Winemaking
35% whole cluster, 65% destemmed into open top fermenters; 2/3 of the lots inoculated for fermentation; trod/punched daily during active fermentation; 91° F peak temperature; pressed at dryness ~14 days on skins; aged in French oak barrels, 20% new; 14 months in barrel, racked once before bottling. This is the 2nd label for Kendric Vineyards, but in 2021, there was no 1st label bottling, and the best lots went to the Loup Solitaire.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.1%
RS: 0.4 g/L
TA: 5.3 g/L
pH: 3.70
Volatile Acidity: 0.73 g/L
Production: 120 cases
2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
Tasting Notes
"Complex earth, leather, and balsam aromas lead to a mellow mélange of mulled strawberries, red plums, cinnamon, and cloves on the palate. While full-bodied and lightly tannic, this wine tastes mature and ready to enjoy. 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
“Light ruby in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry, raspberry leaf, and red apple skin. In the mouth, bright, faintly saline flavors of raspberry, red currant, and sour cherry have a lovely gauzy tannic structure and pretty citrus peel acidity. Delicious and quite sensuous on the palate.” 9/10 Points, Alder Yarrow, Vinography, 8.14.22
Vineyard
Kendric Vineyard, Marin County/Petaluma Gap (An “Estate” bottling except that the vineyard and winery are in separate AVAs.) Off San Antonio Rd., between Novato and Petaluma, West of Olompali State Park, 8.5 acres on ENE facing slope.
Elevation 250’
Planted 2002
Loam topsoil, clay loam subsoil from sandstone and shale parent material
Clones 37 (Mt. Eden), 115 and 667 on 101-14 and 3309 rootstock
2.5 tons/acre, hand-harvested in several picks Sept 10 - 18 at ~23 brix from the top portion of the vineyard.
Winemaking
35% whole cluster, 65% destemmed into open top fermenters; 2/3 of the lots inoculated for fermentation; trod/punched daily during active fermentation; 91° F peak temperature; 83% pressed at dryness ~10 days on skins; 17% extended maceration ~ 6 weeks; press lots excluded; aged in French oak barrels, 25% new; 24 months in barrel, racked once before bottling, unfiltered.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.6%
RS: 0.9 g/L
TA: 5.9 g/L
pH: 3.61
Volatile Acidity: 0.66 g/L
Production: 300 cases
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2021 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
2x 2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County Case:
6x 2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
6x 2021 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
Stewart Johnson farms the Kendric Johnson Vineyard on leased land at the boundary of the Marin County and Sonoma Coast appellations 8 miles west of the Pacific Coast. This 8.5-acre vineyard was planted in 2002 to clones 37, 115, 667, 777, 828, Pommard, and Martini. Yields are extremely low at this very cool site. Stewart graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, obtained a doctorate in political science from Yale, and graduated with a law degree from Hastings. While interning at the Environmental Protection Agency, he was drawn to winegrowing and winemaking rather than being confined to an office practicing law. With his wife, who is a Marin native, he discovered the pastoral beauty of Marin County and ended up growing grapes there.
My name is Stewart Johnson and I handle all aspects of production – from planting and farming the vineyards, to making the wine, to now pitching it to you. When I say “handle,” I don’t mean the photo-op level of participation common to the industry. Every vine and every barrel has my hand prints all over it. Kendric Johnson was my Dad and is the person for whom this enterprise was named. He died in 2001 just as we were getting started. Naming the company after him is meant to both honor his memory and to impose his high personal standards upon the undertaking.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Kendric Vineyards Mixed Pinot Noirs - $45 = 23.06%
We are on the road for a small New Year’s Eve gathering with family, but five of us took the time to do Lab Rat duty on this 2021 Pinot Noir. First comment is about the cool label that depicts a Lone Wolf doing Lab Rat duty!
Color is a very light garnet with a very slight (almost imperceptible) brownish tint. Legs are evident, though not terribly long lasting.
Aroma is pleasant, noticeable cherries, maybe a bit of blueberry and generic red fruit. Not a hint of alcohol.
Taste is of same fruits, a little spice and almost no tannins. The flavor is very pleasant, but not lingering. There is enough acid to make the wine enjoyable with a bunch of different appetizers (shrimp with cocktail sauce as well as cheese and salami) and then eventually with a meal of tenderloin, potatoes, green beans and salad. The nice pairing with all these different foods was somewhat surprising because overall the wine is quite light.
In summary, the Lone Wolf is a very easy drinker that seems to go well with food or on its own without making any strong statements one way or another. One Rat commented that it was somewhat reminiscent of a young Beaujolais. Nothing at all objectionable, but also not a wine that is going to make any real lasting impressions. One additional suggestion was that with a slight chill it probably would make a great summer porch pounder.
@winecaseaholic Grapes that don’t make the cut from poor growing conditions, smoke taint, etc, are not used in the higher end bottlings they were intended for. It might get bulked out, used in a second label or entry level wine, etc. it’s just a formal recognition that the grapes were not up to the standard for a given wine.
@winecaseaholic is right. I got all too familiar with the term in 2020 (smoke) and 2021 (drought). In both vintages, most of the pinot was sold to the bulk market, and the best lots went to the Loup. None made the cut for the Kendric bottling. Partly, that does reflect a quality assessment – I expect more depth of the Kendric lots. But it was also a matter of the best lots just fitting the style target of the Loup better than the Kendric – they were less structured, lighter, redder and more fruit forward than the other lots that I chose not to keep.
I was late in sending the Casemates folks my own description of the differences between between these wines, and it looks like they didn’t make the go-to-press cutoff, so I’ll post it here.
NOTES ON THE ’19 KENDRIC PINOT NOIR
AND ’21 LOUP SOLITAIRE PINOT NOIR
These bottlings are meant to be stylistically complementary. The Kendric bottling comes from the steeper part of the vineyard, where the soils are shallower, the clusters mature a little further, the soil signature is more apparent, and savory and spicy notes are more pronounced. The clones that make this bottling are usually the Mt. Eden, 115 and Pommard. Fermentation is generally warmer, includes more whole cluster and more extended maceration. Basically, I steer the Kendric bottling toward more serious earth, spice and structure. Not a bruiser, but serious.
The Loup Solitaire bottling is meant to come from the less steep part of the same vineyard and picked a little earlier to highlight the red fruit end of the ripening spectrum. It gets de-stemmed, fermented cooler, pressed earlier and goes into older barrels for shorter aging. This is the more fruit forward, less structured, more quaffable counterpart to the Kendric bottling – a nod in the direction of Beaujolais; a wine for early enjoyment; chillable; a picnic wine; and a good pairing for salmon.
The departure with the 2021 was that was a terrible drought year, and everything got picked pretty early in an act of mercy toward the overstressed vines. All the pinot got made in the Loup style that year, as ripeness, stems and seeds weren’t suited to the Kendric protocol. Most of my ’21 pinot got sold off to the bulk market. The ’21 Loup is comprised of the best barrels of the vintage from the hillside – ones I thought might have the earth and spice to become the Kendric label bottling. Ultimately, it didn’t develop the sort of depth that I’d want for the Kendric label, but it’s more stylistically in that vein than past vintages – just lighter. It’s still a picnic/porch/pool weight bottling but with a bit more seriousness than the more frivolous early bottlings.
Tasting date: 12/30/23
Tasting Partner: SWMBOTot
Temp: lightly chilled in fridge
Food Pairing: enjoyed with dinner, Pork Tenderloin with mushroom madeira sauce and roasted red potato’s.
Alcohol from the label: 13.6%
Visual: Color is a medium depth ruby red with minimal sediment.
Nose: Still showing very strong youthful aromatics. Predominately wet wood, mild red fruit, think strawberry and cranberry, no noticeable alcohol and oak that is present but not dominate.
Taste: Medium bodied, dry and crisp, minimal to no tannins to speak. Comes across as fairly balanced and very flavorful. Primary notes are muted red fruit, primarily a tart cranberry, wet wood and no noticeable alcohol. No tertiary aromas that I could pick out however my allergies are a kicked up a little so the old sniffer might not be picking up as much as normal.
Overall I would say this is a nice example of a PN from the Petaluma area. I have a had a few and they all generally have good acidity, somewhat muted fruit and really go well with food. Think of it as a go between between your CA power pinots from say the Russian River and what Oregon typically produces.
I liked this more as a food fine than a predinner sipper. I found it a little tart to my liking, my wife did not like the wet wood note which I actually enjoyed. Overall, solid Pinot, varietally and regionally typical and priced well here.
I often find myself using the Oregon analogy when trying to characterize Marin’s PN style – lighter/brighter/earthier than some of CA’s powerhouse regions. I’m usually trotting that out preemptively at tastings when I get the vibe that someone is looking for something that will blow their hair back with even more gusto than, say, Santa Lucia Highlands. In that instance, I’d rather save us both the trouble of a disappointed “Kinda light” review. There are Gap vineyards that will incline more toward power – Gap’s Crown comes to mind. So, I’m not sure it’s perfectly applicable characterization of the whole AVA, but I do think it fits the Marin part pretty well.
@CorTot@KendricPN Thanks for the additional context Stewart, and good to see you here again since those Sangios five years ago.
Any thoughts on how those are doing?
@CorTot@rjquillin that was probably the '18 and '16 sangios, tho I’m not sure of that. I can’t say that I’ve tried the '18 recently, but that’s my favorite vintage, to date. I’d be very surprised if it had fallen off. The '16 has settled into middle age – the cherry has fallen back and the more savory herbal and green olive notes are more pronounced.
In for a case. I have Kendric 2016 Sangiovese and 2017 Syrah in my cellar/basement…both solid wines. So I’m excited to try 2 Pinots from Kendric.
/giphy uninviting-valid-business
@WineDavid49@WCCwinegirl
Shipping and delivery question: how accurate are the expected delivery dates. Need to get an attended address correct in an order. If the dates are good, fine, but if it’s arriving sooner the normal address will be bad news…
2021 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$337.15/Case for 6x 2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County + 6x 2021 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County at Kendric Vineyards
About The Wineries
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 22 - Tuesday, Jan 23
Yum. Nice way to end 2023 or start 2024 depending on your time zone!
@klezman and at better than 50% off current CT/Wine Searcher pricing at the case level too
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Kendric Vineyards Mixed Pinot Noirs - $45 = 23.06%
Kendric Vineyards Mixed Pinot Noirs
4 bottles for $64.99 $16.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Kendric Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir
2019 Kendric Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap
Kendric Wine Co. Loup Solitaire 2021 Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County
We are on the road for a small New Year’s Eve gathering with family, but five of us took the time to do Lab Rat duty on this 2021 Pinot Noir. First comment is about the cool label that depicts a Lone Wolf doing Lab Rat duty!
Color is a very light garnet with a very slight (almost imperceptible) brownish tint. Legs are evident, though not terribly long lasting.
Aroma is pleasant, noticeable cherries, maybe a bit of blueberry and generic red fruit. Not a hint of alcohol.
Taste is of same fruits, a little spice and almost no tannins. The flavor is very pleasant, but not lingering. There is enough acid to make the wine enjoyable with a bunch of different appetizers (shrimp with cocktail sauce as well as cheese and salami) and then eventually with a meal of tenderloin, potatoes, green beans and salad. The nice pairing with all these different foods was somewhat surprising because overall the wine is quite light.
In summary, the Lone Wolf is a very easy drinker that seems to go well with food or on its own without making any strong statements one way or another. One Rat commented that it was somewhat reminiscent of a young Beaujolais. Nothing at all objectionable, but also not a wine that is going to make any real lasting impressions. One additional suggestion was that with a slight chill it probably would make a great summer porch pounder.
Stewart, haven’t heard the term “got declassified” in terms of grapes before, (only in government documents). What is meant when used in this context?
Happy New Year!
@winecaseaholic Grapes that don’t make the cut from poor growing conditions, smoke taint, etc, are not used in the higher end bottlings they were intended for. It might get bulked out, used in a second label or entry level wine, etc. it’s just a formal recognition that the grapes were not up to the standard for a given wine.
@winecaseaholic is right. I got all too familiar with the term in 2020 (smoke) and 2021 (drought). In both vintages, most of the pinot was sold to the bulk market, and the best lots went to the Loup. None made the cut for the Kendric bottling. Partly, that does reflect a quality assessment – I expect more depth of the Kendric lots. But it was also a matter of the best lots just fitting the style target of the Loup better than the Kendric – they were less structured, lighter, redder and more fruit forward than the other lots that I chose not to keep.
I was late in sending the Casemates folks my own description of the differences between between these wines, and it looks like they didn’t make the go-to-press cutoff, so I’ll post it here.
NOTES ON THE ’19 KENDRIC PINOT NOIR
AND ’21 LOUP SOLITAIRE PINOT NOIR
These bottlings are meant to be stylistically complementary. The Kendric bottling comes from the steeper part of the vineyard, where the soils are shallower, the clusters mature a little further, the soil signature is more apparent, and savory and spicy notes are more pronounced. The clones that make this bottling are usually the Mt. Eden, 115 and Pommard. Fermentation is generally warmer, includes more whole cluster and more extended maceration. Basically, I steer the Kendric bottling toward more serious earth, spice and structure. Not a bruiser, but serious.
The Loup Solitaire bottling is meant to come from the less steep part of the same vineyard and picked a little earlier to highlight the red fruit end of the ripening spectrum. It gets de-stemmed, fermented cooler, pressed earlier and goes into older barrels for shorter aging. This is the more fruit forward, less structured, more quaffable counterpart to the Kendric bottling – a nod in the direction of Beaujolais; a wine for early enjoyment; chillable; a picnic wine; and a good pairing for salmon.
The departure with the 2021 was that was a terrible drought year, and everything got picked pretty early in an act of mercy toward the overstressed vines. All the pinot got made in the Loup style that year, as ripeness, stems and seeds weren’t suited to the Kendric protocol. Most of my ’21 pinot got sold off to the bulk market. The ’21 Loup is comprised of the best barrels of the vintage from the hillside – ones I thought might have the earth and spice to become the Kendric label bottling. Ultimately, it didn’t develop the sort of depth that I’d want for the Kendric label, but it’s more stylistically in that vein than past vintages – just lighter. It’s still a picnic/porch/pool weight bottling but with a bit more seriousness than the more frivolous early bottlings.
@KendricPN Thanks for coming on site to give us a better understanding of this offer!
@KendricPN helpful stuff, thanks Stewart!
@KendricPN love it when the vintner is so engaged here! Very appreciated, and makes the wine personable!
I love the Kendric bottles I’ve had (looks like I still have a bottle of the 2016). Might have to get a case at this phenomenal price
Kendric Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap
Tasting date: 12/30/23
Tasting Partner: SWMBOTot
Temp: lightly chilled in fridge
Food Pairing: enjoyed with dinner, Pork Tenderloin with mushroom madeira sauce and roasted red potato’s.
Alcohol from the label: 13.6%
Visual: Color is a medium depth ruby red with minimal sediment.
Nose: Still showing very strong youthful aromatics. Predominately wet wood, mild red fruit, think strawberry and cranberry, no noticeable alcohol and oak that is present but not dominate.
Taste: Medium bodied, dry and crisp, minimal to no tannins to speak. Comes across as fairly balanced and very flavorful. Primary notes are muted red fruit, primarily a tart cranberry, wet wood and no noticeable alcohol. No tertiary aromas that I could pick out however my allergies are a kicked up a little so the old sniffer might not be picking up as much as normal.
Overall I would say this is a nice example of a PN from the Petaluma area. I have a had a few and they all generally have good acidity, somewhat muted fruit and really go well with food. Think of it as a go between between your CA power pinots from say the Russian River and what Oregon typically produces.
I liked this more as a food fine than a predinner sipper. I found it a little tart to my liking, my wife did not like the wet wood note which I actually enjoyed. Overall, solid Pinot, varietally and regionally typical and priced well here.
Cheers.
@CorTot
I often find myself using the Oregon analogy when trying to characterize Marin’s PN style – lighter/brighter/earthier than some of CA’s powerhouse regions. I’m usually trotting that out preemptively at tastings when I get the vibe that someone is looking for something that will blow their hair back with even more gusto than, say, Santa Lucia Highlands. In that instance, I’d rather save us both the trouble of a disappointed “Kinda light” review. There are Gap vineyards that will incline more toward power – Gap’s Crown comes to mind. So, I’m not sure it’s perfectly applicable characterization of the whole AVA, but I do think it fits the Marin part pretty well.
@KendricPN thanks for the thoughts. I’m certainly not even an amateur reviewer so take my notes with a grain of salt.
@CorTot I wasn’t intending to be critical of, or take offense to, your note, which I thought was solid. Just musings about a couple points you raised.
@CorTot @KendricPN Thanks for the additional context Stewart, and good to see you here again since those Sangios five years ago.
Any thoughts on how those are doing?
@KendricPN none taken, just adding background to my review.
@CorTot @rjquillin that was probably the '18 and '16 sangios, tho I’m not sure of that. I can’t say that I’ve tried the '18 recently, but that’s my favorite vintage, to date. I’d be very surprised if it had fallen off. The '16 has settled into middle age – the cherry has fallen back and the more savory herbal and green olive notes are more pronounced.
@CorTot @KendricPN
A couple of offers; one of '14 and’15 in Dec '18, another July '21 for the '16. The '18 I got directly from you. So, thanks for all!
Well I’m in for a case. This seems hit my Pinot sweet spot.
In for a case. I have Kendric 2016 Sangiovese and 2017 Syrah in my cellar/basement…both solid wines. So I’m excited to try 2 Pinots from Kendric.
/giphy uninviting-valid-business
@WineDavid49 @WCCwinegirl
Shipping and delivery question: how accurate are the expected delivery dates. Need to get an attended address correct in an order. If the dates are good, fine, but if it’s arriving sooner the normal address will be bad news…
Well, thanks to the vintner being here, getting a case, first time for this brand. Looking forward to it!
/giphy flowery-majestic-friend
@outdoorslife based on the other Kendric wines I’ve purchased here on Casemates, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!