Washington State, USA
Force Majeure
Force Majeure in the Walla Walla Valley is an ultra-premium winery producing single-vineyard Bordeaux- and Rhône-inspired wines that are the ultimate handcrafted expressions of the terroir in which they were grown.
In 2004, entrepreneurs Paul and Susan McBride founded Force Majeure – a winery defined by its unwavering commitment to outstanding viticulture and exemplary winemaking.
The Collaboration Series
Together with celebrated vineyard manager Ryan Johnson, who at the time was farming some of the best and oldest plots in the famous Ciel du Cheval vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA, Paul and Susan initially launched the ‘Collaboration Series’. Their idea was to give seven of Washington State’s best winemakers access to the fruit grown in this prime vineyard. Denoted by a specific Roman numeral, each Collaboration Series wine was the work of one of these winemakers, each of whom was chosen for their proficiency with certain grape varieties and styles. The last Collaboration Series vintage was 2013, after which Force Majeure began to focus on producing its own estate-grown wines.
An experienced man at the helm
Todd Alexander, who previously worked as winemaker at Napa Valley’s iconic Bryant Family Vineyard, has been running the estate since 2014. Todd’s passion lies in crafting characterful, terroir-driven wines through careful, precise, uncompromising work.
Wines from this producer
USA
Washington State
Washington is the second-biggest US wine-producing state after California. Its cool, dry climate is conducive to producing ripe grapes with firm acidity. Many Washington winemakers are inspired by the Rhône and Bordeaux.
