For the first time, Mark Ryan McNeilly cracked Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, scoring with a formula of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (17%) and Petit Verdot from sites such as Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Quintessence from Red Mountain, Red Willow in the foothills of Mount Adams and Phinny Hill in the Horse Heaven Hills. It’s constructed for more immediate enjoyment than some Mark Ryan cellar-worthy reds, but The Dissident — named for a Pearl Jam song — maintains a classy aromatic profile of cassis and black cherry with dusty minerality and toast. It continues to evolve in the glass, revealing flavors of cherry and bittersweet chocolate, medium tannins and a finish of black olive, moist earth and red currant. According to the Spectator tasting panel, this was the best Washington wine it evaluated in 2019.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 4,000 cases
Alcohol: 14.8%
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