Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and made its name pairing some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winemakers contributing to the Collaboration Series (CS) is a Who’s Who of Washington winemakers including Ben Smith, Carolyn Lakewold, Chris Gorman, James Mantone, Mark McNeilly and Mike McMorran. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
The winery is in the process of transitioning from Collaboration wines to Estate wines. The release this Fall of the final wines from the 2013 vintage, for the most part, marked the end of the current Collaboration Series. Going forward there will only be one off Collaboration wines.
Ruby red in color. 14.8% ABV. 56% Mourvedre, 38% Syrah and 6% Grenache. Riveting nose of black fruits, iron and tar. Medium to full body with tons of acidity. Young and plush with noticeable tannins. Blackberry, grilled meats and blood on the palate. The finish is long. The wine will clearly benefit from time in the cellar. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 92 points.
Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in the state. The winery is still accepting names for the mailing list .
I’m going to miss the CS wines and in particular the Merlot dominant CS IV but am excited about the direction Paul McBride has in mind for Force Majeure.
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