Our Carneros Elizabeth Pinot Noir is named in honor of my grandmother, Elizabeth “Betty” Baldacci, as a testament to her unwavering strength, resilience, and boundless spirit. This wine is intentionally styled as a richer, more serious expression of Pinot Noir as a reflection of its namesake’s enduring presence. We focus on four clones—777, Calera, Pommard, and Swan—to find balance between mouthwatering acidity, concentrated fruit, and elegant tannins. Our color profile is darker than other Carneros Pinot expressions as we allow for a 3-day cold soak followed by daily punch-downs to gently turn over the cap while focusing on keeping the berries intact. The total fermentation time is a bit shorter so that there is less extraction from the seed and skin tannin and more attention on the fruit profile. With four unique rootstock/clone combinations from our Carneros estate vineyard, I have the ability to pick multiple times and keep each of the lots separate to maximize my final blending options.

—Michael Baldacci, Winemaker