Please The Palate | Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Marbeso 2023 Williams Ranch Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains

I eat sushi for dinner at least once a week. Sometimes I go out, but more often I order in. One of the advantages of eating sushi at home is that I get to choose the wine pairing. This week, I reached for a red wine. I know Pinot Noir, especially one that is fresh, savory, and bright can work beautifully with sushi, and the Marbeso 2023 Williams Ranch Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains proved exactly that. Elegant, energetic, and quietly complex, it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Marbeso

Marbeso was founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Colin McNany and Hannah McNany. The name Marbeso, meaning “kiss of the sea,” reflects both the coastal influence on the vineyards they source from and the fresh, acid-driven style of wines they produce.

Before launching their own label, Colin spent years making wine for others, with experience spanning nearly two decades and multiple regions, including Margaret River in Australia and Martinborough in New Zealand. South Bay natives with deep roots in California wine country, they settled in Santa Barbara where they focus on small-production, vineyard-designate wines from Santa Barbara County and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their philosophy centers on minimal intervention winemaking using native yeasts, neutral French oak, and bottling wines unfined and unfiltered to preserve transparency between vineyard and glass. They hand select the vineyards they source from with an emphasis on organically farmed vineyards. The vineyards are all in close proximity to the sea, enabling them to make clean, acid-driven wines that express a sense of place.

Tasting Notes

The Pinot Noir is sourced from the Williams Ranch Vineyard, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, only 7.5 miles from the sea. The wine is 100% whole cluster, native fermented, and aged in neutral French oak. The result is a wine that emphasizes a purity of fruit and freshness. The wine opens with aromas of red berries and Maraschino cherries, dried herbs, forest tree, and subtle earthy notes. On the palate, it is bright and energetic, with vibrant acidity balanced by soft tannins and a savory edge.

Food Pairing

The liveliness of the wine and the low tannins make the wine food-friendly, complimenting the umami flavors of the fish, while the acidity kept the palate refreshed. The savory notes of the wine worked well with the tuna, salmon, albacore, crab roles, and soy sauce, while the bright red fruit added lift without overpowering the delicate flavors of the sushi.

Where To Purchase

The Marbeso 2023 Williams Ranch Pinot Noir retails for $55. Only 50 cases were made. To find this wine, and other Marbeso wines, visit their website.

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