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. Brooding nose of dark fruits, olive brine, espresso and pepper. Full bodied with tremendous acidity. Plush, silky and impeccably balanced. Black cherry liqueur, blueberry and barbecued meats on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Awesome Syrah that is just going to get better in the years to come. I’ll check in on another bottle in 2025 or so.
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 hope to visit the winery on Cayuse Release Weekend next April.