Marbeso Rock Hollow Vineyard Cabernet Franc Los Olivos District 2021

While we usually hear about new brands and projects via tastings with local winemakers, we regularly review bottlings from wine regions further afield.  On any given day, ACME receives packages, sometimes sight unseen, from up-and-coming winemakers in Oregon, Washington, and even New York state.  These strivers are eager for us to try their wines with the hopes and dreams of one day being featured in one of our clubs or on our famous wall.  Last month, we opened a box of four wines from Colin McNany of Marbeso Wines on California’s Central Coast.  And the rarest thing occurred- all of us liked ALL OF THEM. 

Colin grew up in Palos Verdes, California, and his mother was a chef who helped develop his palate from a young age.  He studied sustainable agriculture at UC Santa Cruz, where he published a thesis on viticulture and went on to plant a one-acre organic Pinot Noir vineyard.  After working harvests in New Zealand and Australia, Colin joined the winemaking team at Bargetto and later Hunt and Heist while contributing to the tasting panel at Wine and Spirits magazine.  Somehow, he still found time to start a family and pursue his love of surfing and abalone diving!  Marbeso is Colin’s winemaking passion project and takes its name from the Spanish words for “sea” and “kiss” because all his Central Coast vineyard sources are within miles of the Pacific. 

The Los Olivos District of California is known for its expansive and sediment-rich soils that fanned out from the Santa Ynez River over time.  Much of the young AVA (established in 2016) is a vast plain and extends over 35 square miles with 1,100 acres of vineyard.  While Los Olivos District receives the benefits of the cold marine fog from the Pacific Ocean, most of the moisture burns off before reaching the plain 30 miles out in the afternoon, allowing for warm temperatures during the day to ripen the fruit.  Rock Hollow Vineyard is an outlier for Los Olivos, with 20 acres of rolling hills and rocky soils under the vines.   100% of the fruit comes from Rock Hollow’s 20-year-old Cabernet Franc vineyards.   

The Marbeso Cabernet Franc stands out beyond its distinctive vineyard source for Colin’s vinifying technique.  The wine underwent 100% carbonic maceration, a practice not often employed with the Cabernet Franc varietal in California.  Carbonic maceration is a way to initially ferment grapes without yeast by creating an oxygen-free environment.  Colin added the whole clusters of Cabernet Franc to a stainless-steel tank, topped them with dry ice, and sealed the tank for three days.  Colin began foot-treading the grapes after three days and re-sealed the tank after a pump-over to allow the carbonic maceration to begin.  Carbonic maceration ferments the grapes from the inside out by using CO2 to break down the sugars and malic acid in each berry.  Once fermentation was complete, the wine aged in 100% neutral French oak barrels for 11 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Peppery spice, fresh mulberries, and California bay make for an enticing nose that leads into a lively palate with dusty, barely-there tannins layered with spice and herbal notes.  The carbonic maceration gives the wine uplift and vibrancy, making it delicious to enjoy now as a refreshing accompaniment to your next meal.  Colin produced only 100 cases of this debut wine, and we’re thrilled to have an opportunity to share it with you!