Mark Ryan Dead Horse 2017 750ml

The Mark Ryan Dead Horse first vintage of Dead Horse and Long Haul was produced in a friend’s garage. With a lot of hard work & a little dumb luck, it worked out. Here we are 20 vintages later! Dead Horse and Long Haul are still made from many original vineyards we’ve worked with over two decades, along with newer vineyards we’ve custom planted.

Quintessence, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Obelisco fruit make up this Mark Ryan Dead Horse wine. Aromas of vanilla, black coffee, dried herb, graphite, plum, and dark cherry lead to a full, creamy-feeling, flavorful palate, intertwining fruit and barrel flavors. Coffee notes linger on the warm finish. A firm coil of slightly green tannins gives it support. Allow it some additional time in the bottle.

Blended with 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Dead Horse Cabernet Sauvignon displays a robust dark ruby-colored core and emanates with aromas of black cherry skin, blackberry jus, dusty plum, red flowers, and soft baking spices.

Full-bodied, the Mark Ryan Dead Horse wine is generous on the palate, with fine-grained tannins and lifting acidity, delivering flavors of mocha, cherry skin, and a soft smoky essence. The wine continues to unpack and unfold across the mid-palate and ends with a long, lingering, and dusty finish that continues with persistence.

Under a layer of firm tannins, this has flesh and sweetness, offering black cherry, rhubarb, dried tomato and black olive flavors that mingle effectively on the expressive finish. This was made with grapes from the Quintessence, Ciel du Cheval, Red Willow, and Klipsun vineyards.