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, Syrah and Tempranillo. Force Majeure recently opened a new winery in Milton Freewater, Oregon.
Purple in color. 15.1% ABV. Savory nose of dark fruits, olive brine and violets. Full bodied with medium acidity. Well balanced. Rich, lush and brooding. Black cherry, blueberry liqueur, charred meats and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish with silky tannins. Exceptional Syrah from one of WA states top producers. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 94 points.
Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in the state. The winery is still accepting names for the mailing list.
I blogged about Force Majeure recently in A Vertical Tasting of Force Majeure CS IV.