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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 without notice, from up-and-coming winemakers in Oregon, Washington, and even New York state. These strivers are eager for us to try their wines, hoping that one day, they will be 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 Californias 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 Colins 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. In 2020, Colin crafted his first Magic Hour blend, utilizing fruit from a new vineyard and treating the wine as a research and development project. Much to his delight, the inaugural vintage was a big success, cementing the concepts future as a means to explore new fruit sources, varietals, and winemaking techniques. For the 2022 Magic Hour, Colin paired a surprising duo of grapes with his Albario and Grner Veltliner blend. He crafted only 100 cases of this uncommon 50/50 blend. The wine began as two separate skin-contact fermentations, during which Colin studied the effects of using the same methods on two distinctly different varietals. Each wine spent 12 days on the skins in stainless steel fermenters and another 11 months in neutral French oak barrels before blending. Imagine strolling through a Santa Barbara citrus grove, breathing in the aromas of the newly-opened blossoms. The first scents and sips of Colins 2022 Magic Hour will bring you right to this place. It is highlighted by aromas of Asian pear and nectarine with hints of white pepper and salinity. The citrus notes are matched by the vibrant acidity on the palate, making this a lovely wine to start the evening. Even Colin notes that it is best enjoyed while watching a beautiful sunset. - Acme Fine Wines |
