Winemaker Notes
On the nose, a complex bouquet of dark fruits, including ripe blackberries, cassis, and black plum with dusty currant and saddle leather undertones. Rich and full bodied on the palate with flavors of black cherry, mocha, and wood spice followed by a long fruit-forward finish.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is darkly floral with violet and lavender tones giving way to black currants and sweet spice. Silky smooth and pliant, it offers racy acidity and depths of ripe wild berry fruits that swirl throughout. Gently tannic yet fresh, this wine leaves a licorice tinge and the mouth watering for more.
Over a decade later, Mark Ryan Winery has grown in size, earned acclaim from wine-lovers and critics alike, and garnered respect from the state's elite producers. The goal, however, remains the same. Make delicious wines that represent the vineyard from which they come, making every vintage better than the last.
Washington produces so many exciting wines, and that definitely includes Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. With over 10,000 acres under vine, Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely-grown varietal in the state. Terrific examples hail from sub-appellations like Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley. One of the fascinations of these Columbia Valley Cabs is that they so often seem to have one foot in the New World and one in the Old. Representing the former are characteristics like the ripe, forward fruit that results from long sunny days during the growing season (up to two hours longer than in much of California). Old World similarities include an undeniable brightness from acidity, as well as notes of herbs, graphite and a dusty, sometimes gravelly minerality.
Whether you’re looking for a budget bottle for everyday enjoyment, or a stellar, world-class wine with tremendous aging potential, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines can deliver the goods! Among the many fine options are bottles from Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, L’ecole #41, Quilceda Creek and Leonetti.