Mark Ryan The Dissident 2019
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Some of Washington State’s finest vineyards have provided fruit for the 2019 Dissident. Cabernet sauvignon from Quintessence and Klipsun and merlot from Phinny Hill, Red Willow and Olsen are the foundation of this blend. The Dissident is a wine that we create to complement the Dead Horse and Long Haul. Great care is taken in the cellar to handle the must gently; it is never pumped and is gently punched down twice a day. The wine is aged for 18 months in 74% new French oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of principally Cabernet Sauvignon (58%) and Merlot (35%), along with bits of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it boasts beguiling aromas, with notes of coffee, plum, whole berry, spice and herb. The palate is soft and polished. It’s immediately delicious and hangs on and on at the finish. Editors’ Choice.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 The Dissident functions as the entry level wine from this estate, and readers looking to understand the style of this great estate, or the vintage, should give it a try. Its deep purple color is followed by attractive red and blue fruits as well as classy tobacco, spice, and spring flower notes. More medium-bodied, it's balanced, has silky tannins, good concentration, and a classy finish, with a more up-front, supple style geared for drinking over the coming 5-7 years, although I suspect it will keep even longer. Best After 2022
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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 large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.