Vagabond is the brainchild of Ryan Lowell, age 35, who already has a lifetime of experience in the food and beverage industry. He is the Wine & Spirits Director for Russell’s Restaurant in Bothell, WA, where he has worked for the past 21 years. “I literally grew up in the restaurant world,” he says, only half joking, pointing out that when he was only a toddler, his father, Chef Russell Dean Lowell, toted him around in a backpack while the chef cooked for patrons.
Born out of Ryan’s passion for Old World wines and his infatuation with knowing all aspects of winemaking from start to finish, Vagabond began as a series of small-lot, one-off collaborations, starting with a 2016 red blend that he made with Kevin Correll at Barrage Cellars. Named, “Unorthodox,” it’s aging gracefully and is a head-turning blend of Bordeaux varietals from Boushey and Red Willow vineyards.
His next effort was a 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon that he vinified in Walla Walla—it’s a top-notch rendition.
In 2021, Ryan Lowell began producing wine at Woodinville’s Adrice Cellars in tandem with vintner Pam Adkins. He recently bottled a highly aromatic, crisp, and fruity Sauvignon Blanc crafted from grapes farmed by the Andrews family at the renowned Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
Ryan Lowell is in no immediate hurry to open a physical tasting room; he is gathering momentum at his own pace, keeping the goal of crafting elegant wines at the forefront of the process. “I had an amazing martial arts instructor a long time ago,” Ryan says. “He told me, ‘You don’t lift weights to become a better fighter, you fight to become a better fighter.’ You train. In order to become a better winemaker, I have to be in the cellar making wine.”
Ryan has spent the past eight years expanding upon his skills and different techniques by observing how others in the field are making wine. “Every harvest I’d work with a different winery and spend time in the cellar with people that had more experience than me, in places like Walla Walla, Red Mountain, and Woodinville,” he says.
Ryan counts winemakers Gilles Nicault, Pam Adkins, and Kevin Lantz as his greatest mentors.
With production sitting around 500 cases annually, not-so-distant releases that are in-barrel at the moment include Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a co-fermented red blend. The barrel samples we tasted show a bright future for Vagabond Wine Company.
The wines can be found at Russell’s Restaurant in Bothell and Blanc & Rouge in Snohomish, as well as other select local restaurants and bottle shops. Or call Ryan a call to make a tasting appointment at (206) 966-9182. Vagabond is online on Instagram and Facebook, or visit www.vagabondwinecompany.com.
Below are three releases we recently reviewed:
Vagabond 2016 Unorthodox Red Blend
93 pts.
Powerful in scope, there is a purity behind the expansive layers of expressive red cherry, currant, and blackberry fruit that evolve on the visceral structure, complemented by tobacco and cedar details. The ponderous finish is entrenched with a sheen of robust tannins that hang on ceaselessly. $42
Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vagabond 2018 Nomad Cabernet Sauvignon
93 pts.
Elegantly rendered, with a mineral edge running amid polished blackberry and dark cherry expressions underscored by cocoa, coffee bean, tobacco and dried herbs. Powdery tannins frame the dry, earth-tinged finish. $50
Vagabond 2023 Spectre Sauvignon Blanc
91 pts.
For this all-stainless steel tank version, Ryan used Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown at Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Aromatic and bright yet generous in feel, delivering juicy Meyer lemon threaded through green apple, D’Anjou pear, lime blossom and honeysuckle. Details of grapefruit and wet stone linger on the tension-filled finish. $38