WTN; Excellent Marin County Pinot

2005 Kendric Pinot Noir-Marin County (North Coast) California.

The local Wine Styles is lucky enough to be visited by the proprietor of Kendric Vineyards on his route between the Foothills (where his farm is where he grows hot climate Syrah) and the contracted Pinot vineyard in Marin County.

Color was somewhat dark ruby. At first sip, definitely the fruitier style of California Pinot. But then, a few minutes in open glass, the wine utterly transforms into a smooth, ultra-silky creature of mushroom and earth (with still plenty of Pinot fruit.) Delicious stuff. 92 points.

Does anybody else get that silkyness in Pinot? I have experience two wines recently that really emphasize this. (Beaulieu Reserve and the Kendric).

2005 Kendric Pinot Noir-Marin County (North Coast) California.

The local Wine Styles is lucky enough to be visited by the proprietor of Kendric Vineyards on his route between the Foothills (where his farm is where he grows hot climate Syrah) and the contracted Pinot vineyard in Marin County.

Color was somewhat dark ruby. At first sip, definitely the fruitier style of California Pinot. But then, a few minutes in open glass, the wine utterly transforms into a smooth, ultra-silky creature of mushroom and earth (with still plenty of Pinot fruit.) Delicious stuff. 92 points.

Does anybody else get that silkyness in Pinot? I have experience two wines recently that really emphasize this. (Beaulieu Reserve and the Kendric).

Yup. I often get a silky (actually, I think of it as velvety) texture from CA Pinot Noir. These tend to be oak-aged, non-overextracted versions such as Saintsbury and Byron. Do you know where in Marin those vineyards are? Close to the Sonoma border?

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

2005 Kendric Pinot Noir-Marin County (North Coast) California.

The local Wine Styles is lucky enough to be visited by the proprietor of Kendric Vineyards on his route between the Foothills (where his farm is where he grows hot climate Syrah) and the contracted Pinot vineyard in Marin County.

Color was somewhat dark ruby. At first sip, definitely the fruitier style of California Pinot. But then, a few minutes in open glass, the wine utterly transforms into a smooth, ultra-silky creature of mushroom and earth (with still plenty of Pinot fruit.) Delicious stuff. 92 points.

Does anybody else get that silkyness in Pinot? I have experience two wines recently that really emphasize this. (Beaulieu Reserve and the Kendric).

Seek out another Marin vintner called Pey Marin. Very much like what you describe here. Unmistakeably pinot noir, yet not quite like pinot from any other place. It really is a distinctive terroir.

Thanks, Jenise. I've actually seen Pey Marin wines in local shops, so I'll check them out when budget allows

The Beaulieu Reserve Pinot had a similar, if not even more pronounced, silkiness. That's from Carneros fruit. Darker and even earthier, though

Yup. I often get a silky (actually, I think of it as velvety) texture from CA Pinot Noir. These tend to be oak-aged, non-overextracted versions such as Saintsbury and Byron. Do you know where in Marin those vineyards are? Close to the Sonoma border?

Mark Lipton

From their website:

Our Pinot Noir comes from our 8.5 acre vineyard in Northern Marin near the Sonoma border. It lies to the South of San Antonio Rd. and to the West of Mt. Burdell and Olompali State Park. The vineyard is on a moderate to steep East facing slope. I have a long-term lease on this and other scattered potential vineyards sites on a 1500 acre ranch, one of many owned by the Corda Family.

Northern edge of the County, south of Petaluma Gap.