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, Syrah and Tempranillo. Force Majeure recently opened a new winery in Milton Freewater, Oregon.
Purple in color. 14.7% ABV. Sublime nose of rich blue fruits, violets, smoke and wet pavement. Full bodied with strong acidity. Ripe and hedonistic all the while maintaining a sense of balance. Kirsch liqueur, blueberry syrup, barbecued meats and roasted herbs on the palate. This Syrah needs more time in the cellar or an extended decant. Best over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 91 points.
Force Majeure is one of the most exciting wineries in the state. The winery is still accepting names for the mailing list.
I blogged about Force Majeure recently in A Vertical Tasting of Force Majeure CS IV.