It appears that more folks in the wine industry have gotten the message that more quality, value-priced reds are needed in the marketplace. In truth, it seems we have seen an increase in offerings over the last year or so. Not all of them are good, but there are certainly more exciting Cabs and blends to be had these days at lower fares. There has been a pretty steady stream of ‘contestants’ out of Washington, and more interesting options at that from some of the newer, more boutique players.
Washington has tremendous potential as a source of value Caberenets. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Hedges, for example, have been consistent players in that arena for decades. We taste a lot of others offerings that you don’t see because, while their intentions are good, the finished wines are kind of boring. Sure they have great color and power, which will win you a lot of friends in some circles. But they are often kind of drying on the finish and lack real definition in the midpalate. If you are only going to have half a glass with dinner to get your daily dose of resveratrol, that’s fine. But if you actually enjoy drinking wine like we do, you need a little something more.
Our never-ending search ran across Ryan Patrick Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Island 2016. Founded as a family winery in 1996, Terry Flanagan named it for his two sons Ryan and Patrick. They were one of the first to plant grapes in what is now the Ancient Lakes AVA more or less due north of the more recognized Wahluke Slope. The winery was sold to Jerry and Butch Milbrandt in 2011, owners of Wahluke Wine Company. Since 2012, according to one source, the winemaker has been Jerry Santo, Washington State grad (go, Cougs?) by way of Canoe Ridge. Yet his name does not appear on the website under ‘meet our wine team’.
Do you need to know all that? Probably not, but it is important to understand that the winery’s philosophy is surely part of the reason this wine stands out among Cabernets of this price range. From their own website, “Intuitive winemaking is the art of letting the fruit speak for itself. It’s minimalist intervention combined with consistency of style…artisanal winemaking where the grape is at the center. Many wineries use static recipes for their wines…Batch-tinkering approaches have resulted in (our) varietals and blends that have justifiably become famous for how they out-perform their price point.”
The Ryan Patrick Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Island 2016 is a blend of83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 2% Malbec that is aged 22 months, 50% in American oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks. The grapes come from six different vineyards across three appellations, Wahluke Slope, Snipes Mountain, and Yakima Valley. For those that care, the alcohol is listed at a somewhat modest 13.5%.
If you haven’t thought about it, it is important to understand that the ripening process in Washington grape-growing is different than California. The roughly two- hour-longer sunlight hours and lower average temperatures present a growing season that has more in common with Bordeaux than California, though ripeness here is clearly not a problem.
As expected, there is deep color and notes of bing and black cherry in the nose with flecks of vanilla and espresso. The palate leans a little darker fruit-wise with aspects of black currant, blackberry and black cherry in the relatively weighty entry. A touch of dark chocolate, some graphite notes, baking spice and a touch of savory on the finish, the difference between this one and your typical ‘$20 Cab’ is in the detail.