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Owen Bargreen

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Here I am pictured with Mark Ryan McNeilly back when we could still travel at a wine event in NYC.

Here I am pictured with Mark Ryan McNeilly back when we could still travel at a wine event in NYC.

Mark Ryan

December 8, 2020

A Woodinville winery that has maintained remarkable consistency, Mark Ryan is the brainchild of Mark Ryan McNeilly who has been a visionary in the Washington wine scene. I loved visiting their Woodinville outpost back when I was tasting wines more informally some fifteen years ago. The winery is just so much fun to visit, with their rock and roll theme — you would be hard pressed to not enjoy a visit there. Mark has an incredible story, founding his namesake winery back in 1999. He was mostly self-taught as a winemaker and has been creating some consistently good wines since that time. 

They offer some really good values in their portfolio. They source from some outstanding sites in the state but they keep their pricing very reasonable regardless of how much the fruit costs. I love the 2019 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which is fresh and vibrant with a great sense of texture. Even better is their 2018 Mark Ryan ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is sensational now and will only improve with a little bottle age. Learn more about this outstanding Washington winery at markryanwinery.com Here are the great new wines by Mark Ryan. 


2019 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Golden in color and simply delicious, the 2019 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay is a stunning effort. Full-bodied, with great weight and length, the wine reveals buttercream flavors that mingle with minerals, Bosc pear and lemon zest infused sourdough bread on the palate. A complete wine, this gorgeous Chardonnay has a lot of life ahead of it, picking up nutty and earthy tones as it ages. Drink 2020-2027- 93



2018 Mark Ryan ‘Little Sister’ Merlot- Entirely sourced from Red Mountain, this beautiful new wine shows ripe red cherry dusted with cocoa powder and shades of black tea, anise and sagebrush tones that all mingle together. The palate is vibrant showing great weight and freshness. Layers of ripe dark fruits meld with chocolate, sagebrush and earthy undertones of the wine. Ripe and downright delicious to savor in its youth, this beautiful wine has another decade or more of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2033- 93



2018 Mark Ryan ‘Long Haul’ Red Wine- The 2018 Mark Ryan ‘Long Haul’ Red Wine is mainly Merlot (72%) with the reminder smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot. The palate is soft and round, with a silky mouthfeel. Layers of chocolate covered cherry, cigar box, anise and sagebrush all collide on he palate. Showing good weight and vibrant minerality, the 2018 ‘Long Haul’ will enjoy anther decade or more ahead of it. Drink 2020-2033- 92



Mark Ryan 2018 Dead Horse.jpg

2018 Mark Ryan ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an awesome wine that follows up a seriously good 2017 release. Once on the nose this takes on black cherry cordial and mocha tones that mingle with smoky minerals and tobacco tones on this gorgeous bouquet. The palate is full-bodied but seamless texturally. Black Forest Cake and chocolate covered espresso bean tones mingle with minerals and the wonderful rich mouthfeel. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this beautiful wine has another fifteen or more years ahead of it. Drink 2020-2035- 94

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