2015 Force Majeure Estate Tempranillo

The 2015 Tempranillo Red Mountain Estate might rival Cayuse’s Tempranillo cuvée as the best example of the variety in the United States. Just loaded with notions of exotic spices, cured meats, country ham, liquid violets, and beautiful crème de cassis fruit, it’s deep, full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, with phenomenal depth and richness. It has loads of ripe tannin, but they’re mostly concealed behind a wealth of fruit. This tour de force needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will knock your socks off over the following two decades. Now focusing almost exclusively on their Red Mountain estate vineyards, Force Majeure is making some of the most compelling wines in Washington State, as well as in the United States. Winemaker Todd Alexander (previously at Bryant Family in Napa Valley) came on board in 2014 and today the wines show another level of purity and finesse, all while not sacrificing depth of fruit or texture. Both the 2015s and 2016 are terrific wines, with a small edge going to the 2016s. Trust me, these are gorgeous wines you need to try.