New Washington Winery to seek out: MTN/ART

WINE TALK
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I’ve posted a few times about how I enjoy reading just about anything that Sean Sullivan puts out there via his site, Northwest Wine Report. I strongly suggest subscribing (no interest here whatsoever, just a fan). His wine reviews are posted in online “issues” that appear about twice per month. When he posted an unscheduled tasting note / unofficial review of a wine because he was so impressed, I took note and bought some of the wines, site un"seen" / wines un-tasted.

The winery is MTN/ART (spoken as Mountain Art). This past Saturday, July 5 I tasted three wines with the owner, a wine industry veteran, Ryan Johnson and his lovely wife Rebecca at their home. For those unfamiliar, Ryan has been a vineyard consultant for over two decades in Washington and is a partner in WeatherEye Vineyard on Red Mountain.

The three wines we tasted were 2023 Sol to Soul (a Pet-Nat white Rhone blend), 2022 The Edge of the Wild Syrah, and 2022 The World’s Gone Mad (a red Rhone blend). Since the tasting was a few days ago, and I didn’t scribble notes down while tasting, this is only an impression.

THESE WINES ROCK. There is no way I would have identified the white as “Pet-Nat.” There was zero funkiness in the wine whatsoever, but I suppose the light fizz could indicate the treatment. It was excellent, bright, but with some needed richness of fruit. The Syrah (which is the wine that prompted Sean Sullivan’s “Emergency Wine Review”) was a totally unique (and excellent) representation of Washington State Syrah. The nose was already a panoply of fruit, savoriness, herbs, and olive, and the palate was bright as day with Syrah typicity, but in a much lighter frame, and in a very good way. The Edge of the Wild was perhaps a bit more of a traditional style with it’s slightly richer palate presence than the prior wine, but far from how rich some from WA are…straight-up delicious.

If you want a very a-typical Washington Rhone wines (low alcohol (I think the Syrah was 12.5%) and high acid), sign up and buy ($58 each). I was a massive fan and can’t wait to open these in a while, and with some food. Ryan and Rebecca were so gracious and so friendly, and I sure hope this project is a massive success.

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You must have a spy working in my lap-top. I literally ordered a case, breaking a moratorium dating back to May, about 15 minutes ago. I went 5, 5, 2 Pet-Nat, since I have never really had a petnat I enjoyed but love the Weathereye whites I have tried.

Glad to hear your palate approves!

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I tasted there back in October. I had ordered Edge of the Wild based on Sean’s recommendation. Like you, I follow him closely and find our palates are very similar. Yes, these wines rock! I also tasted the Flowers Make Me Think white Rhone blend. The best I have had in a long time. Great people, incredible wines.

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BUMP. In an email from the winery, via Ryan Johnson offering a limited 20% discount, for those who want to try them out:

Hello friends-

Happy Summer! The growing season is in full swing on Red Mountain—the vines are healthy and happy and are running about 7-10 days ahead of normal. There has been a lot of wind, and a lot of sunshine in 2026! We have been super busy with canopy management and cluster thinning, and it feels like Harvest will be here in no time at all.

We have some special announcements to share with you, and as a family-owned and operated business one of the best things about MTN/ART is when we’re able to connect with our customers on a personal level. Well, here’s something that’s pretty exciting for the Johnson Family…OUR DAUGHTER IS GETTING MARRIED!!!

Okay, seeing that written down spikes a lot of emotions, but it’s also a precious moment as parents when one of your kids is ready to leave the nest (especially under good terms!). For those of you who have spent time with us, the heart of MTN/ART has always been about family, building relationships, celebrating life, and enjoying great wine together.

As a way to celebrate with us, the next announcement might bite us in the rear end (Ryan wrote this, not Rebecca) but here it goes (before we change our minds)…FLASH SALE!!! From now through July 15th, all MTN/ART wines are 20% off with the code SUNSETWEDDING at checkout. For Coyote Club members, email us and we’ll send you an exclusive code for 30% off your order! For our family, this has been a summer to remember–and we hope this offer is a way for MTN/ART to be a part of your summer memories, too. Library wines and current releases can be purchased at our website www.mtnartwines.com.

Our final announcement isn’t quite as intense as the others, but it’s worthy of attention: LOW INVENTORY ALERT!!! We are down to our last 18 bottles of 2024 Sol to Soul Pét-Nat! If you’ve been wanting to try one of the most unique sparkling wines in Washington State (WeatherEye fruit, white Rhone blend, méthode ancestrale winemaking), or just need to reload your cellar…now is the time!

As we wrap up this letter, we are so grateful for your continued support of MTN/ART Wines. While our immediate family may be changing in size, we are thankful that many of you are becoming a part of our extended family.

With love,

-Ryan and Rebecca

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