Bottle Notes, Syrah

2011 Force Majeure CS II Syrah – Bottle Notes

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 winery recently transitioned from Collaboration wines to Estate wines. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. There is also a second label that was introduced last year named Parabellum. Even more changes are in the works including a new label and a Force Majeure Tempranillo.

The 2011 CS II Syrah was made by Ross Mickel of Ross Andrew Winery.

Blood red in color. 14.3% ABV. Co fermented with Roussanne and Viognier. Savory nose of black fruits, tar, wet pavement and herbs. Medium body with perfect acidity. Lean and restrained on the palate. Flavors of dried cherries, blackberries and iron. Great length on the finish. Less rich and plush than I typically expect from Force Majeure. Likely a reflection of the 2011 vintage. Best over the next 1-2 years.

My rating: 90 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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