Dancing Wind Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Kendrick Vineyard Petaluma Gap Marin County 2023

“To be published in July 2025: Winemaker Stewart Johnson might be the finest winemaker and grape grower in Marin County, and this 2023 Dancing Wind Cellars single-site Pinot Noir from his estate Kendric Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA, is the proof. A mix of Mt. Eden, 115, 667, Pommard, and Martini clones are grown at roughly 76 metres elevation in clay loam, sandstone, and shale soils. Fermented with 50% whole clusters, using daily punchdowns and warm fermentation temperatures, the wine was pressed dry and aged for 12 months in 18% new French oak. It’s the kind of Pinot Noir you’d want to drink daily. At 13% alcohol, it’s balanced, complex, vivid, and juicy, with a core of red berry fruit—raspberry and cherry—nuanced by clove and Indian spice. Light- to medium-bodied on the palate, crushed rock minerality underscores fine-grained tannins with an intensity reminiscent of crushed cocoa nibs and a tangy freshness, finishing with focused acidity, blood orange, and juicy plum. Stockpile it by the case if you can.”