2023 Dancing Wind Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Kendric Vineyard Petaluma Gap

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.