2021 Marchelle Fourth Act Pinot Noir Carneros 750 ml

“When I was an angry young man, I made angry young Pinots.”

That’s how Greg has described the earliest chapters of his career at Flowers and Hartford Court, back when he was fighting to earn respect for Pinot Noir as a grape unto itself—separate and different from Cabernet Sauvignon.

His Pinots in those days were flashy and designed to grab attention. But with more time spent in Burgundy, and investigating techniques like cold soaking and wild fermentations, his wines began to change, becoming gentler and more elegant.

The “fourth act” referenced is a nod to Greg’s impending retirement. As he distills a lifetime’s worth of knowledge about vineyards and grapes into swan song bottles like this one, he’s letting fly with some of the most show-stopping wines of his decorated career.

This is a love letter to Carneros, primarily composed of grapes from the 29-acre Huichica Creek Vineyard—a site that’s on the vanguard for developing sustainable farming practices. With ideally situated east-west rows on clay-loam soils, the vines there produce small berries that imbues the wine with its dramatic fruit character.

Into the blend Greg added intensely mineral estate fruit from Manchester Ridge Vineyard, perched at 2,220 feet above sea level in Mendocino, as well as old-vine grapes from Sonoma’s van der Kamp Vineyard—one of California’s most historic Pinot plots. 2021’s dry, low-yielding conditions help shape a wine that is full of concentration, nimble on its feet, and an unforgettable deal at our price.