Kyle and Amy Johnson are the power-couple behind the success of Muret-Gaston Winery and sister wineries, Purple Star and Native Sun.
The husband-and-wife winemaking team established their Benton City production facility in 2012. Most recently, in mid-2022 they opened a sleek modern tasting room and wine bar in historic downtown Kennewick that offers patio seating overlooking part of the Columbia River. As an added bonus, it’s within walking distance of Gordon Estate Winery and a few other tasting rooms also located in the complex known as the Columbia Gardens Wine Village.
The new urban wine bar gives die-hard afficionados and would-be fans of Muret-Gaston a second option to enjoy flights and small bites rather than driving out to the main winery near the outskirts of Benton City. (Although that setting in the countryside next to the vineyards is not without its own charms.)
The wine list includes offerings from sister winery Purple Star, a tier that fits into the Johnson’s belief that “wine should be accessible, approachable and affordable.” And for the bubbly-minded, French champagne and imported cider are on-hand.
Along with an incredible selection of wine and beverages, an extensive menu of specialty-food bites transforms any occasion into a convivial one. Menu offerings include imported and domestic cheeses, charcuterie, Sardinian olive oil and balsamic vinegar, hot smoked salmon, clams and octopus from Galicia to list but a few.
After Amy and Kyle Johnson tied the knot, they discovered their ancestors, the Murets and Gastons, were neighbors of sorts some fifteen generations ago, living in adjacent villages in southern France. Inspired by the love of wine-craft and respect for family past and present, Muret-Gaston wines are premium barrel select and carefully made from one-ton lots of hand-picked fruit from top growers, then patiently aged in all French barrels.
The wines float with poise, balance and joie de vivre, demonstrating an influence straddling the best of European and New World styles. If Muret-Gaston wines were Impressionist-era paintings, imagine a hybrid between the works of French master painter Claude Monet and his American contemporary, Mary Cassatt, each of whom brought out the best in each other a continent apart. True fans of Bordeaux and Rhône wines will find any of these wines irresistible.
Visit & Taste at two locations: The Kennewick Wine Bar is located at 313 E Columbia Dr, Suite 120, Kennewick, WA, phone (509) 578-6604. The winery and tasting room are at 56504 N East Roza Rd, Benton City, WA, phone (509) 581-7988. Learn more or make reservations at www.muret-gaston.com.
Below are three releases we recently reviewed:
Muret-Gaston 2017 Rouge
96 pts.
Impeccably structured, this beguiling dark blend of Syrah and Cinsault rolls along the palate with elegant texture, densely packed with steeped blackberry and black currant fruit harmoniously infused with blue plum and boysenberry accents. Bay leaf and graphite notes lean in to a vein of fine tannins that give ample grip to the seemingly endless finish. $50
Muret-Gaston 2018 Touriga Nacional Red Mountain
96 pts.
Touriga Nacional grapes are hard to come by in the state, and this fortified port-style is one of those rarer single-varietal versions worth hunting down. Smooth as fine-crushed velvet, the palate overflows with blackberry compote, steeped black currant, blueberry and cocoa powder notes encircled by gorgeous graphite expressions held in place by firm-footed tannins and penuche details on the extended finish. (500mL size) $50
Muret-Gaston 2021 Blanc
94 pts.
A single-vineyard southern Rhône-style blend of five white varieties sourced from Boushey Vineyard. This complex charmer leads with floral and delicate aromas of honeysuckle, meadow blossom and white peach. The clean-cut structure leaves an energetic impression framed by persistent stony minerality, filled in with Anjou pear and citrusy lemon that echo on the juicy finish. $32