Winemaker Notes
After carefully selecting the top performing blocks in the 13.6 acre vineyard, they are very excited with the results. Great care is taken in the cellar to gently handle the must, which is never pumped and is punched down twice a day to create gentle extraction. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is lightly pressed to barrel where it will age for 21 months in 80% new French oak.
Blend: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Water Witch is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Lots of flowery incense, spice-box, and floral notes emerge from the glass, and it has lots of cassis and black raspberry fruit, supple yet building tannins, and outstanding overall balance. As with all of these wines from Mark Ryan, the purity is top notch.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and bits of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The aromas bring notes of char, roasted coffee bean, bittersweet chocolate and savory herbs. Rich, luscious, creamy flavors follow.
Editors' Choice -
Decanter
Dense and chewy with gobs of dark fruits and freshness on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, this is delightful to savor right now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Water Witch Red Blend comes from the Quintessence vineyard. The nose offers dark red-fruited aromas wrapped with the dusty, ferric expression of Red Mountain. Delicate resinous purple flowers waft from the glass with elements of oak spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a precise and focused fruit expression with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This delightful wine should have no problem aging until its 15th birthday. The wine rested for 21 months in French barrels.
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.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.