Producers

Force Majeure

Meticulous, Soil-Driven, Unstoppable

“Force Majeure” is a legal term meaning “greater force,” a fitting way to describe the 500-foot high wall of water that swept through the Red Mountain AVA about 15,000 years ago. These relentless, powerful elements of Nature formed the terroirof Force Majeure’s vineyards.

This is a pioneer of the Red Mountain AVA, the first to plant on the steep, rocky hillside, which involved the meticulous matching of varietal and clonal selections to the eight distinct soil types that were formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity. The rocky upper-slope with shallow soil is well suited to the cultivation of varietals such as Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils, where varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.

Here the wines are expertly crafted by Todd Alexander, an alum of Bryant Family Vineyard in Napa Valley.  Todd’s orientation is one of quiet confidence and curiosity, with a “hands-off” approach in the cellar that allows the voice of the soil to emerge.

Todd is very eager to get his hands on Force Majeure’s two additional estate vineyard sites in Walla Walla Valley, one of which is in The Rocks AVA, as well as a significant 100-acre, high-elevation development just outside Milton-Freewater above the North Fork of the Walla Walla River in the Blue Mountains. Thanks to Todd, this is a winery with a fine track record already, and an auspicious future that seems inevitable.