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Mark Ryan Winery |
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"Mark Ryan McNeilly-
Rockin' & Rollin' Rebellious Reds by Tami Parr
Mark McNeilly - tiny amounts of wine with complexity and depth, and funny names. Tobacco, mineral, mocha flavors, all made in a garage in Bellevue, Washington. Long Haul is a red blend named for the long drive across the Snoqualmie Pass in a rickety Ford truck full of grapes; Dead Horse is another red blend, made entirely from grapes from Ciel du Cheval (Horse heaven) Vineyard. McNeilly’s goal is to fashion flavorful, even-handed wines expressive of the region where the grapes originate. Classics Dead Horse and Long Haul are almost universally described as variations of “big” and “ripe,” labels which he agrees with wholeheartedly. “I definitely make my wine in a riper style; I keep the fruit on a little bit longer. But even though they may be big and ripe, they’re not out of balance.” McNeilly began producing white wines in 2005. “White wine is fun,” he laughs. “I know people are kind of surprised at the whites.” Surprised indeed – by their nuanced subtlety. He’s currently marketing both a Viognier and a Chardonnay. He traces his interest in developing Chardonnay in particular back – once again – to the Burgundy region of France. “Burgundy is the most special place in the world. I tried to model my Chardonnay after some of those wines.” The Viognier, currently made with grapes from Ciel du Cheval vineyard was developed in 2006 in two styles, one fermented entirely in steel and the other in oak.
The winemaker is remarkably modest about his winemaking, and seems oblivious to the "buzz" about his wines. Mark says: "I believe Ciel du Cheval to be one of best vineyard sites in Washington. Consistently, Ciel du Cheval is one of the warmest vineyards in the state and this allows for big, ripe, elgant wines with great structure, balance and complexity. NO HORSES WERE HURT DURING THE PRODUCTION OF THIS WINE AND IT WAS TESTED ON HUMANS!"
Like others before him, McNeilly has been unable to resist the siren call of the Pinot grape. “I’ve always known I wanted to make Pinot Noir,” he says. He traces this predilection to an early fondness for wines from the Burgundy region of France. “I love Burgundy and I buy quite a lot of it, but you just never know what you’re going to get.” 
Lachini Vineyard
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