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 and Syrah. There is also a second label that was introduced last year named Parabellum. Even more changes are in the works including a new label and a Force Majeure Tempranillo.
The CS III is 100% Syrah made by Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan.
Violet in color. 14.7% ABV. Savory nose blue and black fruits, iron and flowers. Full bodied with tremendous acidity. Blueberries, blackberries, peppered beef and blood on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with supple tannins. Exquisite Syrah that is aging gracefully. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 93 points.
Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in the state. The winery is still accepting names for the mailing list .
I’m going to miss the CS wines and in particular the Merlot dominant CS IV but am excited about the direction Paul McBride has in mind for Force Majeure.
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