Bottle Notes, Syrah

2014 Force Majeure 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. In recent years the winery transitioned from Collaboration wines to Estate wines. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tempranillo. Force Majeure recently opened a new winery in Milton Freewater, Oregon.

Purple in color. 15.1% ABV. 99% Syrah and 1% Viognier. Fantastic nose of black and blue fruits, grilled meats and flowers. Full bodied with strong acidity. Rich and concentrated. Blueberry, boysenberry, coffee and minerals on the palate. The finish is long with silky tannins. Absolutely stunning Syrah that could use more time in the cellar. Best over the next 2-4 years.

My rating: 94 points.

Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in Washington. The winery is still accepting names for the mailing list. If the Cayuse Release Party goes down in April of next year I do hope to visit the new winery in person.

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