Bottle Notes, Syrah

2016 Force Majeure Syrah Force Majeure Vineyard – 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 has a new winery in Milton Freewater, Oregon.

Purple in color. 14.8% ABV. Sublime nose of blue and black fruits, olives and violets. Full bodied with perfect acidity. Lush, rich and silky. Black cherry liqueur, coffee, charred meats and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Dark, brooding Syrah that is approachable now but also has a bright future. Best over the next 4-6 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. I had hoped to visit the new winery on Cayuse Release Weekend. Knowing this has been cancelled it appears a separate trip might be in the works. More to come!

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