A pillar of consistency out of Woodinviille, Mark Ryan was founded by 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 glass of wine 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.
I love the new wines by them, as Mark Ryan crafts wines from some of the outstanding vineyards in the state. Don’t miss out on the 2022 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is a knockout combination of texture, weight and underlying finesse. Even better is the 2021 Mark Ryan ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is already drinking beautifully now. Learn more about this outstanding Washington winery at markryanwinery.com Here are my reviews of the great new wines by Mark Ryan.
2022 Mark Ryan ‘Flowerhead’ Rose- Made from a combination of 60% Sangiovese 32% Syrah and 8% Grenache grapes, the 2022 Flowerhead shows off delicate Yakima cherry and red raspberry flavors that ming well with stony minerals and earthy undertone on the palate. Neatly textured, enjoy this great value now and over the next several years. Drink 2023-2028- 91
2022 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This really good 2022 Chardonnay comes from the Olsen Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. It was stored in mainly concrete edges and new French oak before bottling. First made back in 2013, this new edition shows off bright lemon rind and brioche notes on the nose alongside shades of banana. The palate is soft and inviting with a silky texture and beautiful sense of length. Refined and glorious in its weight and length, this is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2023-2031- 93
2021 Megan Anne ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- This beautiful new wine comes from the Lazy River and Freedom Hill Vineyards. Stored in 30% new French oak for 18 months, this offers a smooth texture with medium bodied pomegranate, red currant and orange rind flavors that combine with salty soils on the palate. Smooth and soft, this is already drinking nicely now at the near three year mark. Drink 2023-2031- 91
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Wild Eyed’ Syrah- Coming from the Red Mountain AVA, the 2021 ‘Wild Eyed’ Syrah has 4% Grenache blended in. Inky in the glass, this revels its rich creosote and espresso ground flavors, alongside iodine, creme de violette and black currant flavors. Complex and really delicious, showing good underlying verve and a smooth texture, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. This is already drinking beautifully now. Drink 2023-2031- 94
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Monkey Wrench’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Monkey Wrench’ is a blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) with 30% Merlot and the remainder Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It shows juicy dark fruit flavors that mingle well with creosote, garrigue and shades of coffee grounds on the palate. Neatly textured and balanced, this is already nicely evolved stuff that is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2023-2030- 91
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Little Sister’ Merlot- The outstanding 2021 ‘Little Sister’ was stored for 21 months in 60% new French oak and comes from the Red Willow and Quintessence Vineyards. On the nose this takes on layers of dark currants and sweet pipe tobacco alongside espresso grounds and scorched earth notes. The palate is soft and seamless with a great sense of verve and texture. Drinking nicely now, this will continue to evolve for at least another ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2035- 93
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Long Haul’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Long Haul’ is a Merlot dominant wine (72%) with small portions Cabernet Franc (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and a touch of Petit Verdot blended in. The twenty third edition of this wine, it was stored in a smaller portion of new wood (35%) this comes across marvelously juicy with pure red fruits. With more air shades of menthol, damp soils and Arabica bean flavors all meld nicely together in the core. Great to savor now, this will live on for another eight to ten years of peak enjoyment. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2021 Mark Ryan ‘The Dissident’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Mark Ryan ‘The Dissident’ Cabernet Sauvignon also has 10% Merlot blended in with small parts Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Stored in 37% new French oak for 18 months this offers a refined mouthfeel and texture on the approach. Layers of toasty oak, bright Bing cherry and wild blackberry combine with espresso grounds and sagebrush accents on the palate. Ripe and bold with good depth and bright underlying acidity, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten to twelve years. Drink 2023-2035- 93
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2021 ‘Dead Horse’ is nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (91%) with small parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot — all hailing from Red Mountain. Inky in the glass, this delivers heady dark currant cordial flavors alongside a smooth texture and rich boysenberry and Turkish coffee flavors. It is soft and refined, with excellent weight and length. Fantastic to savor now, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2023-2038- 94