It is my pleasure to share the great wines of Force Majeure Vineyard. For years I have admired the beautiful range of wines from this house that include tension-filled Viognier to inky Cabernet Sauvignon. At the helm is winemaker Todd Alexander whose deft hands are crafting easily some of the best wines you will taste in the Pacific Northwest. Alexander has worked formerly with names such as David Abreu and Michel Rolland. His wines exude class with depth, concentration, flavor range of pillowy texture.
I love the new Rhone-inspired wines from 2022. This was a vintage that saw mixed results, with a late harvest and cooler temperatures. The top producers from this vintage made extraordinarily good wines. Case in point, check out the world-class 2022 Force Majeure ‘Red Mountain’ Syrah (OB, 99) which like the ’21 edition flirts with perfection. Don’t miss these beautiful new 2022 wines and check out more at https://forcemajeurevineyards.com Here are the fantastic new wines by Force Majeure.
2022 Force Majeure ‘Estate’ Grenache- The astonishingly good 2022 Force Majeure ‘Estate’ Grenache comes from a middle portion of this estate vineyard on Red Mountain. The wine was aged in concrete for 18 months before bottling, and is sheer-class on the nose with its beautiful red florals on the nose alongside shades of bay leaf, menthol, seaweed and Mandarin orange peel. The aromatic range brings you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is silky and refined, as this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Slightly less dense albeit more nervy than the ’21 edition, enjoy this total stunner now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2025-2050- 97
2022 Force Majeure ‘Parvata’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Parvata’ has considerably more Mourvèdre (50% v 39%) than the 2021 edition, with 29% Grenache and only 21% Syrah (compared to 46% in the ’21). This wine has gotten better and better since it was first made nearly ten years back. This CDP-inspired blend was stored in a limited amount of new French oak barrels prior to bottling. Smoked brisket and beef drippings with Umami all hit the nose alongside white pepper dusted blackberry and shades of wintergreen. The heady and complex aromatics are truly captivating. Silky and elegant throughout the drinking experience, this has to be the finest CDP-inspired blend made in Washington State. A touch more elegant than the brooding ’21 edition, this might be a notch better — and certainly will cellar well for at least another fifteen years. Bravo! Drink 2025-2042- 98
2022 Force Majeure ‘Red Mountain’ Syrah- A dizzying follow up to the 2021, the 2022 Force Majeure ‘Red Mountain’ Syrah was sourced from this 11 acre Red Mountain estate vineyard set on basalt deposits. The wine had 2% Viognier blended in and shows shades of creosote and beef drippings on the nose alongside suggestions of espresso grounds, black rose petals and suggestions of blueberry pie. The palate is rich, viscous and absolutely delicious, with sensational finesse and opulent concentration. This is next-level Syrah that will compete with the finest wines of its kind on the West Coast. Flirting with perfection, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2042- 99
2022 Force Majeure ‘Walla Walla Estate’ Syrah- A beautiful wine from their Walla Walla Estate in the stones of Milton-Freewater, the 2022 Force Majeure ‘Walla Walla Estate’ Syrah spent 18 months in large format neutral French oak barrels prior to bottling. This is the finest edition of this wine that has been made. Nori, smoldering stones and bacon fat all fill the nose alongside lavender and shades of violets. The palate is dense and nicely concentrated, with good underlying verve. The flavor range is downright sensational, yielding blood orange zest, green peppercorns and Kalamata tapenade alongside BBQ brisket and suggestions of creme de violette. Deftly textured and very nervy, this is a world-class wine that is already beautifully evolved. Enjoy over the next decade or more. Drink 2025-2036- 99