My first official activity for the Wine Bloggers Conference #WBC18 was a pre-conference excursion to to Force Majeure Vineyards (forcemajeurevineyards.com). Force Majeure is an ultra-premium winery specializing in estate-grown, single-vineyard Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines, in the style of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. Force Majeure has vineyards on Red Mountain, in the Rocks District and soon, in the North Fork. These are three distinct growing regions in the Walla Walla Valley AVA with different soil types and weather leading to a different taste in the wines produced from these vineyards.
Force Majeure Winery and Tasting Room Plans
Future site of Force Majeure Winery
Our excursion started with a ride to the site of Force Majeure’s new 12,000 sq. ft. winery which is still under construction. They are building the winery in the Rocks District, which is a new AVA within the Walla Walla Valley AVA. For the uninitiated, an AVA is a designated wine grape growing region as established by the TTB (a division of the Department of Treasury). There are currently approximately 242 AVAs in the US. The Walla Walla Valley AVA spans the across the Washington and Oregon border and the Rocks District AVA reside solely in Oregon. This AVA is a low desert and is best characterized by the rocky volcanic soil called basalt. The rocks came from volcanos up in the Blue Mountains and were carried to this region by the Walla Walla River.
After surveying the new winery site, we came to one of my favorite parts of the day. We went to a new vineyard location in what is known as the North Fork of the Walla Walla River. There are currently no vineyards in this region but Force Majeure intends to plant its vineyard by next season. This vineyard will be planted 1900 ft above sea level on this south facing slope in the North Fork. It was amazing to be one of the first people to visit this new vineyard site and listen to the winemaker Todd Alexander talk about his vision for the vineyard. I cannot wait to see this area planted next year and in a few years to taste the wines from this region.
Future North Fork Vineyard with winemaker Todd Alexander
After the various tours, it was time to taste the wine and have some lunch! The winemaker, Todd Alexander, walked us through the tasting. We tasted a GSM, two Syrah’s, a Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend called Epinette, a Tempranillo and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The highlight of the tasting for me was comparing the Syrah from the vineyards in Red Mountain against the Syrah from the vineyards in the Rocks District. Even though the grapes varietals were the same and they were made by the same winemaker using the same techniques, theses were two very distinct, different wines. Even the smell was different. It was the perfect example of terroir. Terroir (pronounced “tear wär”) is French and means a sense of place. It is the characteristic taste and flavor that wine may have due to the soil, water, air and location of the grapes. You could instantly tell the difference between the two and it was amazing. I preferred the Rocks District Syrah.
I cannot say enough good things about this excursion with Force Majeure Vineyards or their wines. These are amazing wines that rival wines from anywhere. Whenever you have passionate owners with a clear point of view, you always will find good wine. If Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie style wines are your jam, you should definitely check out Force Majeure Vineyards. www.forcemajeurevineyards.com
Leave a Reply