Stewart’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.
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Description
Pinot Noir Loup Solitaire 2024, Kendric VineyardsKendric Vineyards 2024 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir is Stewart Johnsons lone wolf bottlehis second label built from declassified lots that dont 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 doesnt land in the main Pinot can happily slide into Loupoften leaning a little more toward the bright, red fruited end of the spectrum. In the
Kendric Vineyards’ 2024 Loup Solitaire Pinot Noir is Stewart Johnson’s “lone wolf” bottle—his second label built from declassified lots 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.
In the glass, it’s easy-going and easy-drinking—juicy, but with verve, the kind of Pinot that disappears faster than you intended. Stewart brings in serious whole-cluster character by adding back about 60–70% stems, giving the wine that extra aromatic lift and a gentle spice-stem snap that keeps everything lively. It sees oak, but no new barrels, so the frame stays subtle and the vineyard voice stays front-and-center. And that voice is pure Petaluma Gap energy: 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.)
About the Winery
Kendric 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.
The 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.
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