Force Majeure

Force Majeure is a winery in the Walla Walla Valley specializing in estate-grown, single-vineyard Bordeaux and Rhône varieties. Its original estate site, in the Red Mountain AVA, was purchased in 2004, and development began in 2006. In 2018, it added a Walla Walla Valley vineyard partially within The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA.

At the original site, the steep vineyard ranges from 960 to 1,230 feet in elevation and is farmed entirely by hand. Its rocky upper slope suits Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks have deep, well-drained Warden soils where Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel. Viognier grows below some Syrah blocks, with some co-fermented with Syrah and the rest made into estate Viognier. Its wines include this estate Viognier and SJR Vineyard Syrah, the only non-estate wine it makes.