Planted in 1975 Ciel du Cheval is one of the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain. The soils consist of deep loam and gravel, and are high in calcium carbonate, which limits the vines’ natural vigor, resulting in smaller berries with a more intense aromatic and flavor profile. Wines produced from Ciel du Cheval tend to have intense red fruits with an earthy, savory back-drop and more pronounced tannins that need to be shaped through viticulture, winemaking and blending practices. We harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Mourvèdre from this vineyard. You’ll find Ciel du Cheval in many of the Mark Ryan wines, including DEAD HORSE, LONG HAUL and CRAZY MARY.

Planted in 1982 Klipsun is one of the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain. The soils are variable with layers of silt and sand. Due to its slight westerly slope, Klipsun is one of the warmest sites on Red Mountain. The intense heat and limited natural soil fertility lead to smaller berries with great intensity. Klipsun brings a darker fruit profile than the neighboring vineyard, Ciel du Cheval, offering blackberry and dark plums rather than red cherry and strawberry. Wines produced from Klipsun can have an intense tannin profile that needs to be managed through vineyard and winery practices as well as blending. We harvest cabernet sauvignon from Klipsun. It goes into DEAD HORSE, OLD VINES, and in exceptional years LONELY HEART.

Located on a bench that sits between Quinn to the southeast and Shaw 32 to the east, Henry Earl Vineyard has a similar soil profile to Shaw 32, but unlike Shaw 32s east-west slope Henry Earl slopes north-south. We source four different varietals from Henry Earl: merlot, malbec, and cabernet sauvignon. The merlot block has very shallow soils that the vines struggle to grow in. This produces small clusters and small berries. We must be careful in the cellar to not over extract the merlot. When done right, the merlot has intense red fruit and floral aromatics with a luscious, broad mouthfeel. The malbec is planted on deeper soils with a more significant south facing slope. Malbec from Henry Earl has explosive blue fruit aromatics with layers of cherry and spice. The cabernet sauvignon block at Henry Earl is planted to clone 169 on a gradual south-facing slope. Clone 169 from Henry Earl creates wines that are incredibly intense, with a combination of black pepper spice and red fruit. Wines produced from Henry Earl contribute great depth and complexity to THE DISSIDENT, Board Track Racer Cabernet Sauvignon and Board Track Racer Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Obelisco vineyard has two distinct blocks defined by the soil type. We harvest cabernet sauvignon out of each block. The north side of the vineyard has deeper, richer soils where the vines tend to produce slightly larger berries and bigger canopies. The resulting wines do not lack for intensity or depth. The southern portion of the vineyard has a shallow rock shelf that runs through the middle of it. This shallow area dramatically reduces the vigor of the wines resulting in small berries and canopies. The north side of the vineyard offers a more primary profile with intense mid palate weight and well-rounded tannins. The south side of the vineyard brings intense savory elements with pronounced tannins and a powerful finish. These grapes can be found in DEAD HORSE, LONELY HEART, and DISSIDENT.

Located on the western edge of the Red Mountain AVA, Shaw 32 rises from 500 feet elevation all the way to 1140 feet at its highest point. The slope runs east to west, with various unplantable draws that help with air drainage. We source cabernet sauvignon from Shaw 32 at one of the lower elevation blocks that sits close to the Yakima River. This proximity to the river helps moderate extreme temperatures. The soils consist of Kiona Stony, Warden and Prosser silt loam. Silt loam soils offer a great balance of drainage, water holding capacity, minerals, and nutrient composition. This provides the vines a healthy environment to grow in and produces wines that have elevated red fruit aromatics with a full-bodied, plush texture. Shaw 32 cabernet sauvignon is used in both the Board Track Cabernet Sauvignon and Board Track Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Located on the southern boundary of the Red Mountain AVA, Stanton vineyard sits entirely on the valley floor. A combination of Finley Sand Loam and Starbuck Silt Loam produce soils that drain extremely well and are low in naturally occurring minerals and nutrients. This lack of available minerals and nutrients helps control the vigor of the vine, leading to clusters with smaller, thick-skinned berries. Smaller berries offer incredible intensity but must be carefully managed in the vineyard and in the cellar, as that intensity of aromatic and flavor is also found in the tannin profile. Gentle extraction and winemaking techniques help produce wines that show exceptional aromatic depth and flavors, with refined structure. Stanton Vineyard fruit produces wines that end up in LONG HAUL, Board Track Racer Cabernet Sauvignon, Board Track Racer Malbec, and THE DISSIDENT.

Quinn Vineyard is planted on a small plateau that sits above Shaw Vineyard on western edge of the Red Mountain AVA. The soils at Quinn are a combination of Scooteney silt loam and Warden silt loam. Silt loam soils offer an excellent balance of nutrient and mineral composition and drainage. The wines produced from Quinn vineyard have dark fruit aromatics and a rich, plush mouthfeel. We source three large blocks of cabernet sauvignon from Quinn. Two of the blocks are clone 191 and the other block is clone 2. Clone 191 from Quinn produces wines with a deep, brooding profile that features dark fruits and subtle spice. Clone 2 from Quinn represents more of the spicy, black pepper qualities that define cabernet sauvignon as a varietal. Wines from Quinn end up in both THE DISSIDENT and DEAD HORSE as well as the Board Track Racer Cabernet Sauvignon.

This vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA on a bench above Champoux vineyard. The soils range from Warden silt loam to Malaga gravelly fine sandy loam. We source both cabernet sauvignon and merlot from Phinny Hill. The cabernet sauvignon tends to have a wonderfully rich, primary, fruit-driven aromatic with undertones of bramble and sage. The palate has great weight and balance with just enough tannin to extend the finish and compliment the plush flavors in the mid palate. The merlot has excellent purity with dark fruits and subtle spice notes. The palate is always rich and round with great depth.

In 2012, we worked together with the Phinny Hill vineyard team to plant a new 10-acre block. From site selection, clone selection, vine density and irrigation, there was no expense spared. We utilized two different clones of cabernet sauvignon: clone 8 and clone 191. Clone 8 produces wines that have an excellent balance of savory and fruit driven aromas and flavors. Clone 191 produces wines that have an explosive fruit-driven aromatic with sweet, dark berry flavors. This block of cabernet sauvignon shows amazing potential, and we are thrilled with the results of early vintages.

Phinny Hill fruit ends up in OLD VINES, LONG HAUL, DEAD HORSE, DISSIDENT and Board Track Racer Cabernet Sauvignon.

Planted in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA and sitting above the Columbia River, Discovery Vineyard produces exceptional fruit. The vines are planted on a south-facing slope in soils that are a combination of wind-blown loess and fractured basalt. The river acts to moderate extreme temperatures. This combination of location, slope, and soil produce the ideal conditions for growing cabernet sauvignon. We source 2.5 acres of clone 337 and 2.5 acres of clone 191 cabernet sauvignon from Discovery Vineyard. The wines produced from this site have an intense aromatic profile that shows layers of dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry, and currant) and savory non-fruit elements of tobacco leaf and black pepper. Discovery cabernet sauvignon contributes to several blends in the Mark Ryan program; DISSIDENT, DEAD HORSE, and Board Track Cabernet Sauvignon to name a few. We have begun preliminary work on a custom planting with Discovery that should go in the ground in 2024.

Red Willow has the oldest plantings of Syrah, and some of the oldest plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the state. The soils mostly consist of calcareous rocks, sandstone, and silt, but there are pockets of loam and clay scattered throughout the vineyard. The wines from Red Willow have savory non-fruit aromatics and subtle layers of dark fruit. The palate tends to be rich, with great power and complexity. The acids are always bright, and the tannins need to be managed carefully, but the resulting wines are always delicious. The merlot from Red Willow is often the backbone of LONG HAUL and one of the main components in the LITTLE SISTER while the LOST SOUL is 100% Red Willow syrah. The viognier makes up almost 50% of the Mark Ryan VIOGNIER blend. The Cabernet Sauvignon is used in the OLD VINES, DEAD HORSE, and MANU PROPRIA.

Olsen sits on the eastern edge of the Yakima Valley AVA, just west of Benton City. We source fruit from multiple blocks at Olsen. The vineyard soils are extremely diverse and range through several types of silt and rocky silt loam. Fruit from Olsen tends to produce wines with a great balance of savory and primary aromatics and flavors with a rich, ripe profile.

50% of the Mark Ryan VIOGNIER comes from a small block of viognier at Olsen that sits up above the valley floor on a steep south-facing slope. The Mark Ryan CHARDONNAY is 100% Olsen fruit and comes from a custom planting on a north-facing slope. This slope shelters the chardonnay from the intense eastern Washington sun, resulting in extended hang time and optimal aroma and flavor development.

In 2014, we worked with the Olsen team to plant a new 7.5-acre block. From site selection, clone selection, vine density and irrigation, there was no expense spared. This block focuses on syrah, grenache and mourvedre. The vineyard sits above 1800 feet elevation and the soils consist of fractured basalt and silt loam. The western edge of the vineyard is extremely rocky, so much so that just getting the end posts in was nearly impossible. Toward the eastern side of the vineyard, the soils become slightly more silt loam but are still very rocky. The challenging soil naturally reduces the vigor of the vine and helps produce clusters with very small, intensely flavored berries. Fruit from this block has shown incredible potential and features in OLIVIA GRACE and WILD EYED.