Previously known as Grand Rêve, Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson. Force Majeure pairs some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winemakers contributing to the Collaboration Series is a Who’s Who of Washington winemakers including Ben Smith, Carolyn Lakewold, Chris Gorman, James…
Rasa Vineyards is a relatively new winery located in Walla Walla, Washington. Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa specializes in Syrah-based wines but has recently released Cabernet, Riesling and Mourvedre. Pinto is the Managing Partner, while Billo is the Winemaker. The name QED comes from the mathematics background of the brothers. QED is traditionally written at…
Cayuse was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France who grew up in family of winemakers in Champagne. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. However, on a visit to Walla Walla he found property that he believed would be perfect for growing grapes and decided to purchase…
Bedrock Wine Co. was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in 2007 and focuses on small production wines from several of California’ s most treasured and historic vineyards. I’ve lost track of the number of wines Morgan makes, but Syrah and Zinfandel seem to be the specialties. The 2011 North Coast Syrah is a blend of declassified Alder Springs and Hudson T…
Betz Family Winery was founded in 1997 by Bob & Cathy Betz. Critical acclaim from local and national wine publications has put Betz Family Winery at the forefront of Washington wines alongside Cayuse, Leonetti and Quilceda Creek. Although the winery was recently sold to Steve and Bridget Griessel (with Bob Betz remaining on as the winemaker), I expect quality will…
Peay Vineyards is a partnership between Vanessa Wong, and Andy and Nick Peay. Founded in 1998, the 48 acre hilltop vineyard is located in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, four miles from the Pacific Ocean. They grow 33 acres of Pinot Noir, 8 acres of Syrah, 5 acres of Chardonnay and small amounts of Viognier, Roussanne and…
Cayuse was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France who grew up in family of winemakers in Champagne. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. However, on a visit to Walla Walla he found property that he believed would be perfect for growing grapes and decided to purchase…
The 2005 Lillian Syrah was the leading vote getter in the November Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine originally received a score of 92 points from the Wine Advocate. I decanted the wine for 30 minutes and paired it with a homemade pizza. Maggie Harrison was assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non for eight years…
Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike & Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Pelkan Ranch is in the Knights Valley AVA. Located at 1000′ elevation on a rocky ridge top facing Mount St. Helena, the vineyard produces intense, thick-skinned Syrah. Being at a higher altitude and…
The November installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on some of the very best domestic Syrah producers. As I mentioned in the July installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle on December 2nd and publishing an in-depth bottle note on…