Force Majeure Syrah 2018
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
#60 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021
The estate Syrah typically exhibits a broad spectrum of black, blue and red fruits, dried herbs and jasmine, fennel, smoked meats and crushed rock along with very fine tannins, great length, balance and complexity.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Syrah Estate includes a splash of Viognier and was fermented with 15% stems and brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. A huge nose of blueberries, black raspberries, spring flowers, smoked game, and ground pepper notes give way to a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, gorgeous barrel sample that has no hard edges, incredible balance, and a finish that won’t quit. While the Viognier gives some cushion to the classic Red Mountain structure of this wine, it’s still going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. My money is on this being one of the top wines of the vintage.
Rating: 97-100
-
Wine Spectator
Combines power with finesse and polish, offering vibrant blackberry, crushed rock and cured pepper beef accents that gather tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Displaying an opaque core with vibrant purple tears, the 2018 Estate Syrah has a bold and expressive nose with fresh, ripe blackberries, dark plum, dusty black cherry skin, elements of black raspberry, hints of pencil shavings and brilliant elegant oak tones. Full-bodied, it is expressive with juicy tannins, where you almost end up chewing the wine, giving way to a balanced structure with a black-fruited core and polished purple floral grip. Tasting this wine, you get the sense of the warmth and intensity that Red Mountain imprints on the expression. The food-friendly wine concludes with a long, drawn-out finish and flavors of dusty bitter dark chocolate. This was made using 15% whole cluster Syrah and fermented with native yeast in concrete and open stainless steel vessels.
Rating: 93+
Other Vintages
2020-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
- Vinous
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
This Herculean effort involved the careful matching of varietal and clonal selections, trellising and irrigation to the nine distinct soil types formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity. The outcome is a vineyard articulated into many small "micro-blocks," to meet the management demands of this unique and dynamic site. Due to the rough, rocky nature of the acreage and elevations ranging from 960 to 1,230 feet, mechanization is virtually impossible in the upper portion of Force Majeure, requiring true "farming by hand." Yet the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils.
Thus, the diversity of our vineyard results in a versatility that allows us to grow a variety of compelling fruit characterized by stunning intensity, depth and concentration, complex flavors and fine tannins. We nurture a variety of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals at this special site and look forward to sharing, quite literally, the "fruits of our labor" with you.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.