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Mark Ryan Crazy Mary Mourvedre Red Mountain 2022

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s website)

Varietal Composition: 81% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, 9% Syrah

Location: Red Mountain

Cellar Aging: Drink now or cellar until 2037

Tasting Notes 

“The 2022 Crazy Mary is a stellar wine with complex aromas of tart red plum, strawberry, basil, violets, and black pepper. Beautifully balanced structure and flavors of black pepper, red plum, black raspberry, winter thyme give way to a long, spicy finish.”

Food Pairing

• Smoked or Grilled Meats – Think slow-smoked brisket, grilled lamb chops, or charred ribeye steak. The wine’s tannic structure will complement the richness of the meat.
• Game Meats – Venison, wild boar, or duck bring out Mourvèdre’s earthy, herbal tones.
• Barbecue – Smoky pulled pork, ribs with a dry rub, or chorizo sausage work well with the wine’s spice and structure.
• Aged Hard Cheeses – Manchego, aged Gouda, or Comté bring out the wine’s fruit and earthy notes.
• Funky Cheeses – Mourvèdre pairs surprisingly well with Époisses, Morbier, or blue cheese, which match its bold, gamey character.
• Mushroom-Based Dishes – Grilled portobello mushrooms, wild mushroom risotto, or lentil-mushroom stew highlight the wine’s earthy complexity.
• Roasted Root Vegetables – Beets, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes add natural sweetness to balance Mourvèdre’s structure.
• Smoky Eggplant or Peppers – Baba ganoush, grilled eggplant, or roasted red peppers complement the wine’s smoky undertones.
• Herb-Crusted Meats – Rosemary, thyme, sage, and lavender mirror Mourvèdre’s natural garrigue-like character.
• Spanish & Mediterranean Flavors – Paella, chorizo-stuffed peppers, or lamb tagine with warm spices like cumin, paprika, and saffron work beautifully.

About Mark Ryan:

We make a small production of sought-after wines, selected intentionally for their merit and potential. Washington State produces some of the finest grapes in the country, and we source from renowned vineyards. We create wines that represent our style with authentic varietal character, resulting in the highest quality we strive for each day. We started this journey in 1999 with a few tons of grapes in a friend’s garage. That first vintage sold out quickly, and to say it has been a wild ride is an understatement. Looking back, we never could have guessed where we would land – with critical acclaim abounding, the 14th largest winery in Washington state with national and international availability, and welcoming tasting rooms in Woodinville and Walla Walla. Always be authentic. Enjoy the ride. Surround yourself with good people. Invest in community – all boats will rise in the tide. Be vigilant. Give people our best. Maintain a ridiculous commitment to quality. We are a handful of people working to create the best wine possible, every vintage – this mission remains unchanged since 1999. We are serious about our winemaking and we’re serious about those who come to imbibe with us, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We welcome all to our wine club, tasting rooms and to our family of wines.

Winemaker’s Notes

Mourvèdre is a varietal that we all love to work with. Its aromatic profile is like syrah, but it contains additional elements that make the resulting wine unique. Mourvèdre prefers the deep sandy soils o ered by Ciel du Cheval. Unlike syrah, which we tend to harvest early in the growing season, mourvèdre is a later ripening varietal and is often one of the last lots we pick. Small amounts of syrah and grenache were used in the blend to help complement and elevate the finished wine. The 2022 vintage was cooler than 2021. The cooler weather allowed the grapes to develop slowly, leading to fantastic balance between sugar, acid, and flavor development. Late summer heat, and one of the warmest Octobers on record, helped produce wines with exceptional balance, depth, and purity. The fruit was hand harvested in October and was fermented in a combination of 1.5, 2 and 5-ton open top fermenters for 7 to 10 days. Great care is taken in the cellar to handle the must gently. The wine is lightly pressed to barrel where it finishes primary and malolactic fermentation. Aged for 18 months in 58% new 228-liter thick staved French oak barrels, the wine was racked twice and left unfined prior to bottling.

Source: https://www.markryanwinery.com/

Kiona Vineyards Lemberger Red Mountain 2022

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s website)

Varietal Composition: 97% Lemberger, 3% Merlot

Location: Red Mountain

Cellar Aging: Drink now or cellar through 2029

Tasting Notes!

On the nose, tart marionberry, a characteristic Pacific Northwest berry, dominates the nose, providing a fresh and inviting scent.​ The wine presents dark red fruit flavors with subtle rusticity. Finely grained tannins contribute to a smooth mouthfeel, while high-toned red fruit flavors linger on the finish.

Food Pairing

• Grilled or Smoked Meats – Pork tenderloin, smoked sausages, grilled lamb, or barbecue ribs complement the wine’s spice and fruitiness.
• Roast Chicken or Turkey – The wine’s bright acidity and soft tannins make it a perfect match for roasted poultry with herbs.
• Burgers & Bratwurst – Lemberger’s juicy fruit pairs wonderfully with grilled burgers (especially with Swiss cheese and caramelized onions) or bratwurst with mustard.
• Duck or Game Meats – If you enjoy duck breast with a berry reduction or venison, Lemberger’s fruit and spice will balance the dish’s richness.
• Roasted Vegetables – Grilled eggplant, bell peppers, caramelized onions, and mushrooms pair well with the fruity and slightly spicy character.
• Lentil or Bean-Based Dishes – Lentil stew, black bean tacos, or a chickpea tagine work beautifully with Lemberger’s acidity and medium tannins.
• Spiced or Smoky Dishes – Eggplant Parmesan, stuffed peppers, or mushroom risotto can highlight the wine’s bright fruit and spice.
• Smoky or Peppery Seasonings – Think paprika, cumin, black pepper, or thyme, which enhance the wine’s slightly rustic, spicy notes.
• German & Austrian Cuisine – Since Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) originates from Central Europe, it pairs well with schnitzel, spaetzle, sauerkraut, or pork with mustard sauce.

About Kiona Vineyards:

In 1975 our family planted the first vineyard on Red Mountain, an area now known for producing some of the world’s most powerful, opulent wines of distinction. For three generations we’ve worked together on our farm to grow exciting, vineyard-driven wines that capture the essence of our Red Mountain estates. Kiona Vineyards and Winery produced the first commercial bottling of Lemberger in the United States in 1980. Since then, our original 1.8 acre planting has grown to 13.1 acres at the Kiona Estate vineyard. Lemberger is typically grown in cooler regions; Red Mountain is a blast furnace by comparison, which results in a riper, rounder profile not found in cooler areas.

A Few More Details

An intrinsically drinkable cult classic over the last 40+ vintages, Kiona Estate Lemberger revels in its unorthodoxy. This compelling, medium-bodied, fruit-forward bottling pairs easily with food, offering a rewarding break from the mundane. An

extremely gentle neutral oak èlevage for the 2022 version puts the fruit center stage. 2022 was a vintage of two halves; cool to start, warm to finish. Compared to 2021, the first three months of the 2022 ripening period had 17% fewer heat units, and the following four months had 4% more. Overall, heat units during the April 1 – October 31st ripening season showed a ~6.5%

decrease. The cool start to the vintage resulted in a statewide trend pushing many pick dates later into the fall. 2022 wines will showcase vibrant acidity, deep color, lower alcohol levels, and excellent aging potential.

Source: https://kionawine.com/