
McNeilly has long been on the vanguard of Washington wine. He was one of the first to start producing wines in the now (over) crowded Warehouse District in Woodinville. He was also one of the first to open a dedicated tasting room in the suddenly teeming Schoolhouse District. McNeilly has steadily grown Mark Ryan’s production and brand over the years and has received a long list of accolades and high scores along the way. He is now taking the winery to the next level.
Since Mark Ryan’s first vintage, McNeilly has purchased fruit from top vineyard sites on Red Mountain, including Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun. Starting this year however, the winery is putting down roots – literally – with its own, dedicated plantings on Red Mountain and in the Horse Heaven Hills.
“We have great relationships with all of the growers that we work with, but each of the sites are still only one piece in a bigger block,” McNeilly says. McNeilly notes that being a small part of a larger whole can impact important decisions, especially irrigation, when watering the winery’s specific rows may not always be possible. “We spent a lot of time talking about how to get more control in the vineyards,” he says.
For McNeilly, the answer came in securing the winery’s own, long-term vineyard contracts. The winery is working with the Shaw Vineyard group on Red Mountain to plant ten acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. McNeilly is also working with Dick Beightol at Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills to plant 10 acres of Cabernet.
“I get excited going up there and knowing we had a part in this vineyard from the ground up,” McNeilly says. “We can start controlling our destiny a little bit better with this model.”

The winery first introduced Board Track Racer with the 2007 The Vincent Red Wine, named after the 1952 Vincent Black Shadow – the fastest production motorcycle of its time. The winery itself is named after a type of motorsport in the early 1900s where motorcycle races were conducted on circular courses made up of wooden planks. “I love motorcycles,” McNeilly explains.
McNeilly says that the expanded Board Track Racer Cellars lineup will focus on drink-me-now wines at everyday prices whereas Mark Ryan will continue to focus on cellar-worthy wines at higher price points. The expanded lineup will include a white, rose, and two reserve-style red wines. To support the expanded brand, Board Track Racer Cellars will have its own tasting room, which is slated to open this fall in the Schoolhouse District.
Production is currently 2,500 cases and McNeilly intends to grow this number by 40% in the next year or two. To get there, the winery will use a combination of declassified fruit from the Mark Ryan program and negociant purchased juice from other wineries. The vineyard plantings fit in neatly with the expansion of the Board Track Racer with the young fruit providing a ready destination. “We can go big,” McNeilly says.
“Trey Busch (Sleight of Hand Cellars) and Justin Wylie (Va Piano Vineyards) made me do it!” McNeilly says with a laugh. “Honestly, the success of our Woodinville tasting room really opened our eyes.” The tasting room is located on Main Street in Walla Walla in the space formerly occupied by Tru Cellars.
While McNeilly seems practically bursting with excitement about these changes, I see reason for the industry as a whole to be excited. Over the years, Washington has established its reputation on small, family wineries. While this will no doubt remain the case, if the industry is to grow and thrive, some of these wineries must evolve into medium sized (for Washington) wineries where production is higher and the brand’s success is less tied to a single individual. Here, as before Mark McNeilly continues to lead the way. Other wineries seem sure to follow.
Board Track Racer Cellars ‘The Vincent’ Rose Columbia Valley 2011 $13

Board Track Racer Cellars ‘The Vincent’ Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2011 $15

Board Track Racer Cellars ‘The Vincent’ Red Wine Columbia Valley 2010 $20

Board Track Racer Cellars The Chief Red Wine Columbia Valley 2010 $25
Board Track Racer Cellars Suicide Shift Red Wine Columbia Valley 2010 $25

Rating System
Please note, my rating system was revised at the beginning of 2012 as follows. Read additional details here.





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