This page will be dedicated to the best wineries in the world. It will feature several wines from their portfolio and hopefully soon will add videos and interviews from these wineries.
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Mark Ryan
Well Mark Ryan was a newer discovery for me last summer. While I knew the name one can only buy so much wine. Well here are my extensive reviews of their wines.
- 2020 Mark Ryan Merlot Little Sister – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (6/8/2025)
Day 1: Diam 10. Second time tasting this wine and no smoke taint. Sour cherry, dust, minerals, wood, earth, cigar and dark currants. Outstanding quality. One of the best merlots from Washington. 93 points
Day 2: This will be a long term cellar wine for sure. Minerals, dust, sour cherry, wood, cigar, dark chocolate, earth and blueberries. Super balanced wine and nice acidity. One of the better Merlots I have tasted from Washington in many years. 94 points
Day 3: Bold statement here that this is top 3 if not top Merlot in Washington. This is off the charts on day 3 and would give a lot of $300 plus Right Bankers a run blind. Cherry, minerals, dust, earth, cigar, wood, rose petals, stone, dark chocolate and pencil lead. Medium plus finish and top 20 wine of the year for sure. 95 points
Recommendation: Back up the truck on a six pack and enjoy over 20 years. (95 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Horse – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/20/2025)
Day 1: Diam 10. 91% Cabernet, 3% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Another winner from Mark Ryan. Beautiful wine with cherry, perfume, dust, oak, spice, blueberries and menthol. Medium plus finish. 94 points
Day 2: Even better. 20 year wine for sure. Cherry, dust, mild oak, blueberries, plum, menthol, baking chocolate, spice and minerals. A touch of menthol on this medium plus finish. Balanced wine and love it! 95 points (95 points) - 2010 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Horse – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (1/16/2025)
Day 1: This will for sure go 3 days. Still a ton left in the tank. Natural cork. Cigar, minerals, dried cherries, plum, dust, earth and rose petals. Nice concentration nice acidity. Medium plus finish. Really drinking well now! 93 points
Day 2: Still firm tannins and featuring wood, cigar, minerals, dried cherries, plum, blueberries, dust, earth, menthol and dried flowers. Beautiful effort. 93+ points
Day 3: Wonderful and still fresh. Bordeaux like with cigar, gravel, dried cherry, blueberries, earth, menthol, rose petals and dust. Medium plus finish. Close to 94 points and maybe with some more time will get there. 93+
81% Cabernet, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot
Recommendation: Seak these older Mark Ryan wines out via auction. This wine will age for another 5 plus years. (93 points) - 2022 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon The Dissident – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (12/22/2024)
Day 1: Mark Ryan is my winery of the year. Never really tried them until the Walla Walla cab festival. This is their base bottling but is outstanding value. Cherry, plum, mild oak, minerals, spice and floral notes. Medium plus finish. Napa try and offer something at this level for $35. 93 points
Day 2: Beautiful showing with cherry, menthol, wood, spice, floral, dust and earth. Nice fruit on this wine and medium finish. One of the better under $40 Cabs from Washington. 93 points
Day 3: For sure a nice value and for under $40 amazing they can afford New French Oak. Great fruit on this wine and has plenty left in the tank for a decade plus of aging. 93 points
Recommendation: A tremendous value.
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot.
79% new French oak, 21% used French oak. 18 months in barrel.
Natural cork. (93 points) - 2012 Mark Ryan Syrah Lost Soul Red Willow Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley (11/14/2024)
Day 1: Diam 10. White pepper, spice, menthol, boysenberry, dust, stone and soy. Medium finish and nice complexity. 92 points
Day 2: Just a solid wine and shows WA Syrah can age easily over 10 years. Menthol, dried cherries, floral, white pepper, mild spices, boysenberries and soy. Medium finish. Very nice. 92 points
Recommendation: Nice auction purchase below retail price. (92 points) - 2022 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon The Dissident – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (10/25/2024)
Day 1: Amazing wine for the money. To get a blend under $35 at this level is not something you see everyday. Wonderful fruit featuring cherry, plum and blueberries. Also featuring spice, pepper, dust and minerals. Medium plus finish. Drink now to 2028. 93 points
Day 2: Equally impressive with cherry, plum and blueberries. Nice mix of spice, pepper, cigar, dust and minerals. Medium plus finish. A crowd pleaser and under $40 so you could get 2 of these over Caymus Napa Valley. 93 points
Recommendation: One of the better Cabernets out there under $40.00. Cheers. (93 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Horse – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): What a beautiful wine with dark purple color. Cherry, spices, blueberries, oak, eucalyptuses, coffee beans and plum. Long finish. Needs some time in the cellar so drink after 2028. (94 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Lonely Heart – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): The best wine at the tasting but they were all great. Cherry, oak, vanilla, spice, dark chocolate and dark berries. Long finish and has the potential for 20 plus years of aging. 94-97 (94 points) - 2020 Mark Ryan Merlot Little Sister – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Very fragrant wine with perfume, cherry, raspberries, lily, cigar and minerals. Medium plus finish. Should age a while. (93 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Cherry, plum, coffee beans, menthol, spice and blue currants. Really tasty and long finish. Drink 2028 and beyond. (93 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Long Haul – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Big wine with tobacco, plum, spice, floral, earth and minerals. Everything is here for a long haul aging! Not sure what one user was thinking with a 78 but you get that on Cellar Tracker. (93 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Water Witch Red Mountain – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Clove, vanilla, black licorice, dark cherries, blueberries, and earth. Nice fruit right out of the gate and medium plus finish. Excellent wine.93-95 (93 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Pinot Noir Megan Anne – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Full throttle Pinot Noir with cranberry, strawberry, soy, spice and a mineral streak on the finish. I would hold these until 2027. (92 points) - 2020 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Horse – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/13/2024)
2024 Celebrate Cabernet Walla Walla Festival Grand Tasting (Marcus Witman Hotel, Walla Walla): My sister in law recommended trying this wine at the Grand Tasting and then visited them in Woodinville the following Monday. Winery of the try by a landslide. Amazing stuff featuring tobacco, earth, cherry, plum, vanilla, subtle oak and minerals. Super complex wine and long finish. A true value in terms of quality. (94 points) - 2021 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/13/2024)
2024 Celebrate Cabernet Walla Walla Festival Grand Tasting (Marcus Witman Hotel, Walla Walla): Plum, coffee beans, menthol, blueberries, earth and mild oak. Really complex and long finish. Nice acidity. (93 points) - 2022 Mark Ryan Syrah Wild Eyed Red Mountain – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): Wonderful showing with spice, black pepper, sour cherry, minerals and earth. Medium plus finish. Drink well now but will go through 2032. (93 points) - 2022 Mark Ryan The Dissident – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): So when people say they like Caymus this is now the perfect alternative that is good. $45 retail and diam 10. Cherry, plum, spice, minerals and floral notes. Smooth wine with medium finish. (92 points) - 2022 Mark Ryan The Dissident – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): At the tasting room and this was drinking well right out of the gate. A fruit forward wine that will drink young. Juicy fruit featuring cherry and plum. Spice, neutral oak and floral notes. Medium finish. Excellent value under $50. (92 points) - 2023 Mark Ryan Sauvignon Blanc – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/15/2024)
Mark Ryan Tasting (Woodinville Tasting Room): One of the better whites of the trip. Grapefruit, cat pee in a good way, spice, lemon and tropical fruit. Nice acidity and medium plus finish. (92 points) - 2014 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Lonely Heart – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/11/2024)
Celebrate Walla Walla Vintage Pour (Walla Walla Vitners): Excellent showing with floral, red currants, oak, vanilla, spices and dark cherry. Medium plus finish. (92 points)
Result of a Crush
No better winery to start than this one. The only wine club I have ever joined and I have tasted more of their wines than all other critics combined. The 2021 Result of a Crush Syrah The Unnamed Series continues to be the best wine in the world for under $25 with shipping. I personally have purchased 100 bottles of it and have 38 tasting notes.
Result of a Crush started in 2011 by Amanda Reynvaan & her sister Angela Reynvaan Garratt with consulting from the great Matt Reynvaan who makes some of the top wines in all of Walla Walla at Reynvaan.
Here are the amazing wines in order of vintage that I have sampled over a short span. Result of a Crush was started by Amanda Reynvaan and her sister Angela Reynvaan Garratt in 2011, along with their brother Matt as consulting winemaker. Their story is about producing great wine for an even better price. These wines are all estate grown and produced in the Walla Walla Valley, with some of the vines established dating back to 2004.
