Elevation of Washington Viticulture
Ultimately, it is the passion and obsessive attention to detail that allow Force Majeure to raise the standard for Washington winegrowing. Inspired by the vineyards of Hermitage, Priorat, and Cote Rotie, we challenged existing viticulture practices and embarked on an ambitious plan to pioneer the very first vineyard on the steep, upper slopes of Red Mountain. This Herculean effort, started in 2006, involved the careful matching of varietal and clonal selections, trellising and irrigation to the nine distinct soil types formed from ancient floods, winds and volcanic activity. The outcome is a vineyard articulated into "micro-blocks," many as small as 0.25 acres, 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 higher portion of Force Majeure, requiring true "farming by hand." This extreme viticulture has led some blocks to receive the nicknames El Terror and The Devil's Playground. With uncompromised dedication to cutting-edge viticulture practices, Force Majeure aims to elevate our estate vineyard into the ranks of the world's great vineyards. First estate harvest was 2010 with expected wine release of 2013.
In 2011, we added to our vineyard portfolio a new 20-acre site christened Parabellum Vineyard, after the gun casings found scattered on the site. This expansion affirms our commitment to Red Mountain and our ongoing passion to establish Washington State among the great wine regions of the world.
| Preview | Attachment | Size |
|---|---|---|
 | A Great Dream - Paul and Ryan Groundbreaking Spring 2007 | 97.79 KB |
 | Analyzing the Soil | 726.9 KB |
 | Devil's Playground Block | 1.54 MB |
 | A Blank Canvas | 687.18 KB |
 | Planting El Terror | 693.29 KB |
 | The Birth of a Vine | 2.95 MB |
 | Twisted | 3.37 MB |
 | Head-Trained Mourvedre | 2.42 MB |
 | El Guapo - Handsome | 2.93 MB |
 | Hillside Syrah 174 - 3 x 4.5 Spacing | 3.28 MB |
 | Sub-hillside Viognier - 4 X 4.5 Spacing | 4.06 MB |
 | Syrah Gobelet | 3.47 MB |
 | Upper Syrah Block - El Hueso | 3.68 MB |
 | Grenache - June 2011 | 824.58 KB |
 | Low-trained Clusters | 660.65 KB |
 | Mourvedre Harvest 2011 | 1.41 MB |
 | Picking Grenache | 1.53 MB |