Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter, 94pts, 12.31.25
“What a fabulous Syrah from Stewart Johnsonbuilding in the glass with cherry fruit, cherrywood smoke, and charcuterie notes alongside dried violets and sagebrush. Leaner on the palate, its focused and energetic, with dynamic, multidimensional tannins, a crisp apple-skin quality, and savoury, meaty nuances on the lengthy finish. So Syrah. So fresh in true Petaluma Gap, Marin County style.”

John Gilman, View from the Cellar, 94pts, 1.6.26
“I have loved Stewart Johnsons wines at Kendric Vineyards since I first tasted them and his 2023 Syrah Petaluma Gap bottling is another outstanding wine in the making. It tips the scales at 13.5 percent octane in this vintage and would not stick out in a flight of Hermitage or Cornas. Its classical bouquet hops from the glass in a complex blend of cassis, black raspberries, smoked meats, pepper, a fine base of dark soil tones, beautiful floral topnotes and a touch of oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and stunningly transparent down to its soils, with a great core of fruit, fine-grained tannins, excellent focus and grip and a long, complex and seamlessly balanced finish. This is a good as any traditionally style syrah currently produced in the US and a stunning bargain as well!”

Alder Yarrow, Vinography, 10.25.25
“Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of candied blackberries, black cherries, and white pepper. In the mouth, bright blackberry, purple SweetTart, and blueberry flavors have a faint sweetness but also a bright saline quality. Faint powdery tannins and excellent acidity round out this intriguing wine that I think will mellow into something more sophisticated with time. Score: between 8.5 and 9.”