{"product_id":"pinot-noir-loup-solitaire-2024-kendric-vineyards","title":"Pinot Noir Loup Solitaire 2024, Kendric Vineyards","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"471\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eKendric Vineyards’ \u003cstrong data-start=\"19\" data-end=\"53\"\u003e2024 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir\u003c\/strong\u003e is Stewart Johnson’s “lone wolf” bottle—his second label built from \u003cstrong data-start=\"122\" data-end=\"143\"\u003edeclassified lots\u003c\/strong\u003e that don’t make the cut for the flagship Petaluma Gap Pinot, but still absolutely deserve a spot at the table. Stewart even talks about a “red fraction” of the blend, and whatever doesn’t land in the main Pinot can happily slide into Loup—often leaning a little more toward the bright, red-fruited end of the spectrum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"471\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eIn the glass, it’s \u003cstrong data-start=\"521\" data-end=\"553\"\u003eeasy-going and easy-drinking\u003c\/strong\u003e—\u003cstrong data-start=\"554\" data-end=\"579\"\u003ejuicy, but with verve\u003c\/strong\u003e, the kind of Pinot that disappears faster than you intended. Stewart brings in \u003cstrong data-start=\"659\" data-end=\"694\"\u003eserious whole-cluster character\u003c\/strong\u003e by adding back \u003cstrong data-start=\"710\" data-end=\"732\"\u003eabout 60–70% stems\u003c\/strong\u003e, giving the wine that extra aromatic lift and a gentle \u003cstrong data-start=\"788\" data-end=\"807\"\u003espice-stem snap\u003c\/strong\u003e that keeps everything lively. It sees \u003cstrong data-start=\"846\" data-end=\"873\"\u003eoak, but no new barrels\u003c\/strong\u003e, so the frame stays subtle and the vineyard voice stays front-and-center. And that voice is pure \u003cstrong data-start=\"971\" data-end=\"994\"\u003ePetaluma Gap energy\u003c\/strong\u003e: coastal-influenced freshness, lift, and a “come back for another sip” finish. (Also: yes, it’s basically a one-man show—Stewart’s the real deal.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"477\"\u003eKendric Vineyards is exactly the kind of small, vigneron-run operation Doctorbird loves to champion: humble, hands-on, and rooted in real farming. Led by Stewart Johnson—grower, winemaker, and the opposite of “photo-op” participation—Kendric is built around the idea that great wine starts with dirt-under-the-fingernails stewardship. We’ve met Stewart, and he’s the real deal: thoughtful, unflashy, and as invested in caring for the land as he is in what ends up in the glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/8711\/6344\/files\/Stew-with-dogs_1.jpg?v=1725580218\" width=\"300\" height=\"451\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe lineup is intentionally small and personal, drawn from Stewart’s Northern Marin vineyard (right at the Sonoma border) and family-held sites in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley. Kendric produces several bottlings of Pinot Noir, still and sparkling Rosé, plus Syrah, Chardonnay, and Viognier from the Marin vineyard, alongside a Sangiovese from Stewart’s mother Kathleen Johnson’s vineyard in Shenandoah Valley—land they manage together. That family thread runs through the whole story: the winery is named for Stewart’s late father, Kendric Johnson, both as a tribute and as a kind of ongoing accountability to high standards; and Stewart is quick to credit his wife, Eileen Burke, for the steady support that made the long road from planting to bottle possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/8711\/6344\/files\/Rick_Kathleen_1.jpg?v=1725580263\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-col text-sm pb-25\"\u003e\n\u003carticle class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"d1c59e8f-96b2-4e17-a549-32de7d331cd2\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-2\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-turn=\"assistant\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"cf221431-3ee1-439e-aace-089fd10dc08b\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2-thinking\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1247\" data-end=\"2061\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eStewart’s farming background goes back to growing up in Amador County working with prunes, walnuts, and grapes. In the early 1990s, he planted Sangiovese on his parents’ land, later experimenting with Syrah. Then, in 2001—after “catching the Pinot Noir bug”—he began planting what would become his own Northern Marin vineyard: about 8.5 acres, largely Pinot, positioned between Tomales Bay and the San Francisco Bay. He made his early vintages in other facilities starting in 2004, before building out his own modest production space on Treasure Island and bringing winemaking fully under his own roof beginning with the 2013 vintage. The scale stays small by design, because for Kendric, the point isn’t growth—it’s doing the work, carefully, year after year, and letting the vineyard speak without a lot of fuss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mt-3 w-full empty:hidden\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kendric Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51609637093432,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/8711\/6344\/files\/KendricLoupSolitaire2024_f622be20-c669-44eb-90fc-42398a156c96.jpg?v=1770326347","url":"https:\/\/doctorbirdmarket.com\/products\/pinot-noir-loup-solitaire-2024-kendric-vineyards","provider":"Doctorbird Market","version":"1.0","type":"link"}