{"id":76,"name":"Force Majeure Vineyards","image_url":null,"district":"Oregon","hours":"Wed – Sat at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2004,"winemaker":"Louis Skinner","website":"https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/","phone":"(541) 833-3051","address":"52274 Pleasant View Rd, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862","description":"Force Majeure stands for nature’s unstoppable power; their ultra‑premium estate wines from Red Mountain and Walla Walla unite rigorous viticulture with exemplary winemaking","lat":45.961883779716,"lng":-118.444883134896,"appt_url":"https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/visit/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$50 per person, waived with purchase of 2 bottles","explorer_tags":["bold reds","experi","knowledge"],"profile":"# Force Majeure Vineyards — Sommelier Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story & Vision\n\nForce Majeure Vineyards is an ultra-premium winery located in the Walla Walla Valley, built from the ground up on an ambition to pioneer new viticultural territory in Washington State. The winery's Red Mountain estate site was purchased in 2004, with vineyard development beginning in 2006 — marking the formal origins of the project. Drawing inspiration from the great vineyards of Bordeaux, the Northern and Southern Rhône valleys, and parts of Spain, the founders set out to challenge existing viticultural practices in Washington by establishing the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. The name \"Force Majeure\" carries deliberate dual meaning: it references the relentless, powerful natural forces that shape terroir, and it describes the \"unstoppable force\" created when elite viticulture meets exceptional winemaking talent. From inception, the winery has been defined by an unwavering commitment to outstanding viticulture and hand-crafted wines that are genuine expressions of their terroir. Wines are produced in small quantities and released two to three times per year via mailing list, select retailers, and fine restaurants.\n\n---\n\n## Winemaker\n\nThe winemaker listed in the Force Majeure database is **Louis Skinner**. No additional biographical, training, or philosophical detail about Skinner was present in the scraped website content.\n\n---\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nForce Majeure farms three distinct estate vineyard sites, each with markedly different terroir profiles.\n\n**Red Mountain AVA** — The original estate, and the winery's foundational site, this vineyard was the first planted on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Elevation ranges from 960 to 1,230 feet, and the vineyard is farmed entirely by hand. The site contains eight distinct soil types formed by ancient Missoula flood events, volcanic activity, and wind-blown deposits. Soils include fractured basalt, concreted ash, wind-blown loess with high calcium carbonate content, and granite erratics. The upper rocky slopes with shallow soils are best suited to Syrah and Grenache, while lower blocks feature deep, well-drained Warden soils ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The overall exposure is west/southwest, and Syrah vines are tightly spaced to provide fruit shade. The vineyard is articulated into many small micro-blocks to maximize the potential of this dynamic site.\n\n**Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA** — Acquired in 2018, this small vineyard sits partially within the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley border, adjacent to the winery's production facility. The remainder falls within the broader Walla Walla Valley AVA. The site lies on an alluvial fan with cobblestone soils deposited by the Walla Walla River. Originally planted between 1992 and 1994, the vineyard features a diverse soil profile: cobble coverage is deepest at the northern end and most shallow at the southern end, creating significant internal diversity. Force Majeure acquired this vineyard with the intention of further developing its distinctive terroir potential under close viticultural care.\n\n**North Fork of the Walla Walla River** — The newest and most ambitious acquisition, this site sits approximately 15 minutes east of the Rocks District, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Elevation rises to nearly 2,100 feet. The terrain shifts dramatically from the flat cobblestone lands of the Rocks District to deep canyons with tall, steep hills. The site receives significantly more rainfall than Red Mountain or the Rocks District, experiences more moderate summer highs, and has less extreme winter lows — resulting in a longer growing season. Force Majeure believes this largely unexplored region has potential to be one of the most exciting new viticultural areas in the United States and expects it to eventually be designated its own AVA, potentially as small as 500 acres.\n\nAcross all three sites, the winery emphasizes hand farming and careful matching of varietal and clonal selection to soil type and microclimate.\n\n---\n\n## Signature Wines & Varieties\n\nForce Majeure specializes in estate-grown, single-vineyard **Bordeaux and Rhône varietal wines**. Specific varieties grown across their estate sites include Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The winery's identity is built around single-vineyard expressions that reflect distinct terroir, with a focus on wines described as \"profound and powerful yet balanced and finessed, distinct and world-class.\" Individual wine names were not detailed in the scraped content.\n\n---\n\n## Winery Character & Identity\n\nForce Majeure has earned recognition as one of Washington State's top estate producers, lauded by prominent critics including Jeb Dunnuck, who called it \"one of the top estates in Washington,\" and Harvey Steiman of *Wine Spectator*, who noted it \"has already established itself in the top tier of Washington wineries.\" What distinguishes the winery is a relentless focus on hillside estate viticulture, geological diversity across multiple AVAs, and a pioneering spirit — having established the first vineyard on Red Mountain's upper slopes and now developing one of the most elevated and untested sites in the Walla Walla Valley. The combination of volcanic, cobblestone, and canyon-terroir sources gives Force Majeure a unique breadth of expression rare among Washington producers. Their wines are intentionally limited in production, reinforcing an estate-driven, allocation-based model.\n\n---\n\n*Sections on Tasting Notes, Wine Club tiers, and Tasting Room details were not present in the scraped content and have been omitted.*","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Force Majuere","content":"Small production wines and a super chic tasting room-this spot never disappoints. The Cabs are fantastic, but it's the Rhône varietals that have me completely hooked."}],"wines":[{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Épinette Blend","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Syrah","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Parvata Blend","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Walla Walla Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""},{"name":"Walla Walla Estate Syrah","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2021","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Épinette Blend","vintage":"2021","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Parvata 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Blend","vintage":"2017","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Syrah","vintage":"2017","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Parvata Blend","vintage":"2017","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2016","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Épinette Blend","vintage":"2016","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Syrah","vintage":"2016","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Parvata Blend","vintage":"2016","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2015","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Épinette Blend","vintage":"2015","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Syrah","vintage":"2015","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Red Mountain Estate Parvata Blend","vintage":"2015","variety":"Red 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