Bottle Notes

2009 Force Majeure Collaboration Series VI – 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. The winemakers contributing to the “Collaboration Series” is a Who’s Who of Washington winemakers including Ben Smith, Carolyn Lakewold, Chris Gorman, James Mantone, Mark McNeilly and Mike McMorran. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The CS VI is a blend of 48% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache and 24% Syrah made by James Mantone of Syncline.

Magenta in color. 14.9% ABV. Black and blue fruits, kirsch and flowers on the nose. Full bodied with big acidity. A much bigger wine than I remember from the sample poured at the release party many years ago. Just a touch of heat on the palate. Flavors of blueberries, crème de cassis and licorice. Great finish. This wine will benefit from another 4-6 years in the cellar.

My rating: 92 points.

In other news Force Majeure opened a new winery this past Fall. Located near the Woodinville Warehouse District, the winery is a huge step up from the previous facility. Concrete tanks, barrel storage and space for winemaker dinners were just a few of the highlights.

Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in the state of Washington. The winery is still accepting names for their mailing list.

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