In Beaujolais, France, carbonic maceration—the process of fermenting whole red grape clusters to extract the grape’s color with low levels of tannin—is renowned for its ability to add unique aromas, like bubble gum and banana, as well as unique flavors, like cherry kirsch or strawberry juice.
However, the technique isn’t limited to Gamay grapes or the Beaujolais region, as youthful and fresh styles of wine are increasingly preferred by wine drinkers worldwide. Marchelle uses carbonic maceration to produce an estate Pinot Noir and a Pinot Meunier from the van der Kamp vineyard on Sonoma Mountain. The latter vineyard hosts one of the oldest plantings of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, dating back to 1952, at 1,500 feet elevation.
“We are one of the only wineries in California to make a Pinot Meunier in this style as most others either use Pinot Meunier for sparkling or craft it the traditional way,” explained Kevin Lee, managing partner of Marchelle Wines. Lee added that his winemaker and business partner, Greg La Follette, has been making a carbonic Pinot Meunier from van der Kamp vineyard for as long as he can remember at his previous wineries of Tandem, LaFollette Wines, Alquimista and now Marchelle.
“It makes a delightful and vibrant light red that bursts with strawberries and bubble gum that pairs well with food and can be slightly chilled,” Lee shared. “Longtime fans of Greg’s wines always seek out the Pinot Meunier as it is such a unique wine, and it typically sells out. However, a selection is stocked at Vault Wine in Calistoga, our shared tasting room.”
After creating somewhat of a cult following for his carbonic Pinot Meunier, La Follette expanded into carbonic Pinot Noir in 2024, from Marchelle’s estate vineyard near Occidental, to ensure his fans always have a carbonic style to sip on, as the average annual production of 70 cases of Meunier is the first to sell out. “Greg is a bit of a mad scientist winemaker and is always experimenting with techniques and different grape varietals to create interesting wines; he was doing carbonic before it became trendy with all the younger natural winemakers out there now,” said Lee.
Both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come from family-owned vineyards that practice organic farming. “We focus on creating these wines with a less is more approach with native yeasts and minimal sulfur dioxide,” said Lee—typically less than 40 parts per million. “These are super fun, easy-drinking red wines that are great slightly chilled and pair well with all types of food,” said Lee, adding that, at the moment, his favorite culinary pairing with their carbonic style wines is a miso-marinated Chilean sea bass. He also pairs them with sushi or fried chicken for a refreshing sip after a long day: “I also like drinking this by itself, slightly chilled,” he shared, flexing the wines’ versatility.
