MTN/ART
THE ORIGIN
LEARN ABOUT
The Vineyard
WeatherEye Vineyard is a 440-acre property draped across the Red Mountain ridgeline in Washington State. Currently planted to 37 acres and covering the mountain’s front and back slopes, WeatherEye was designed and developed in 2016 by Ryan Johnson and vineyard owner Cameron Myhrvold. The site is a case study in terroir, an ongoing exploration of the impact of its various soils, aspects, native vegetation, elevation changes, vine training, clonal selections, and sun and wind exposures on the fruit and wines. Many articles have been written onatherEWeye and its groundbreaking approach to viticulture, including in-depth perspectives by wine critics Sean Sullivan, Elaine Chukan Brown, Paul Gregutt, Alder Yarrow, Owen Bargreen, and others.
MANY HANDS
The Wine
The MTN/ART portfolio of wines is based on the collaborative effort of Ryan’s work in the vineyard with a cadre of his winemaking friends who also source WeatherEye fruit for their own projects and wineries. Keith Johnson (Devium, Sleight of Hand Cellars), Chris Peterson (Avennia, LIMINAL), and Seth Kitzke (Upsidedown Wines, The Devil is a Liar) lend their winemaking talents to MTN/ART, creating a hyper-focused and limited-production lineup that showcases the magic of site, farming, and cellar.
INTRODUCING
The Lineup
The World’s Gone Mad (Red Blend)
Vintage 2022 – The World’s Gone Mad (Red Blend) – The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: 60% East-facing echalas-trained Syrah grown on rocky sandy soil, 30% head-trained bushvine Mourvedre (high-elevation with northwest-facing aspect), and a 10% addition of Cabernet Sauvignon clones from the back slope of Red Mountain. Ryan has worked with Chris Peterson since their early Ciel du Cheval days, and WeatherEye provided the opportunity for them to continue building their friendship and to craft world-class wines together. The Syrah and Mourvedre components were concrete fermented, the Cabernet portion was sourced from 1 new, 1 once-used, and 1 older barrel, all the fermentation was native, and the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. 76 cases made.
The Edge of the Wild (Syrah)
Vintage 2022 – The Edge of the Wild (Syrah) – Sourced from a high elevation, northeast-facing echalas-trained block that catches the first rays of the new rising sun (obscure yet apropos musical reference here), this wine is composed of a field blend of Ryan’s favorite Syrah clones and was picked at low Brix with a bit of Mourvedre to co-ferment. The fruit was then sent to low-intervention maestro Keith Johnson, where it was foot-trod (trodden?) with love and guided through 100% whole cluster native fermentation. Unfined and unfiltered. No new oak was used in the process. The result…is why we love Syrah. 93 cases made.
Sol to Soul (Pét-Nat)
Vintage 2023 – very, very limited production, Sol to Soul is a co-fermented party of 64% Grenache Blanc, 27% Roussanne, 5% Clairette Blanche, and 4% Viognier (it’s also the first and only White Rhone Field Blend Petillant Naturel ever made from WeatherEye fruit). Lightly spritzy (as you would expect with Pet-Nat), but with tremendous depth, character, and texture, this wine was fermented in a new 500L puncheon for 17 days (lots of stirring was involved) and then racked to a single barrel and 1 keg. Seth Kitzke is one of our favorite winemakers in Washington State and continually impresses us with his skill, passion, and ability to craft wines with energy, balance, and tons of flavor (he’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet!). The bad news: only 22 were cases of Pet-Nat were made…and we may have already consumed 3 of them.