Excellent, mature, GSM-type blend from Force Majeure. Dark cherries and other red fruit, lavendar, "french" spices, garrigue, just a hint of olive tapenade, and wet stone. The tannins have fully resolved and are silky and sweet. Lush is a good descriptor. Delicious wine wine that is complex and drinking wonderfully now and can probably last a few more years.
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Still enjoyable but I‘d say slightly over the top. The aromas seemed a bit baked and still the tannins were a bit drying. Suggest to drink sooner or later but it‘s still a decent wine even though it‘s not very complex.
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Had to drink another bottle because the first was so amazing. Impressions mostly confirmed. Had some more kirsch and high pitched raspberry notes on the nose this time, but otherwise this was the same beautiful, earthy, savory experience as last time. This is really a fantastic wine with character. 17/20
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This took me by surprise. Opened as an easy midweek "Coravin-Drinker", but wow. Deep, plummy nose at first, a bit kirsch and earthy notes; but with time fresher, more red fruited, almost a bit raspberries here, the spyciness is evident. The palate is even better with its earthy, savory character, it's fresh and lifted, offering polished tannins providing a lingering finish with medium + length and intensity. The concentration is good and the wine doesn't feel too heavy. I especially like the aromatic, peppery finish. Really impressive. Drink now. 17/20
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Stored at 58 since release. After reading the other reviews, I am in the minority here. While much of what was written by others is correct- deep color, nice nose, big rich body, etc- I find the lack of acidity results in a flabbiness on the palate that I didn’t enjoy. I realize how subjective all of this is. What some exalt as “smooth“, I find flabby and fat. To each...
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Dark purple almost black in color. Needed a lot pf air, very decent fruit, incredible balance with dark fruits and spices, some funky notes (maybe from the 57% mourvedre) and some blackcurrent and licorice. Very interesting assemblage with huge mouthfeel. No hurry on opening these.
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Nose is really interesting with hints of spice, a softness and complexity that is hard to put my finger on but draws my nose back again and again to see if I can identify it. Very attractive. Palate: Smooth as silk, glides along my palate and unwinds in this long, interesting path that shows complexity and elegance. James Mantone hit it out of the park on this one. A shame they stopped doing the collaboration series. Wine Spectator got this one completely wrong. This is lovely.
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Good stuff! Definitely a Washington Syrah...BIG, with lots of color, dark purple. Beautiful earthy nose, flavors all over the fruit and forest. Dark fruit, red, blue, black. Woodsy smells, like a wild briar patch or something. Sits big in your mouth, finishes into next week. Much life left.
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Purple in color. 14.7% ABV. 47% Mourvedre, 42% Syrah and 11% Grenache made by James Mantone of Syncline Winery. Savory nose of black fruits, tar, wet stones and white pepper. Concentrated and full bodied with acidity in spades. Blackberries, espresso, kirsch and smoke on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. The Mourvedre is the star here. Really delicious. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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Well balanced and delicious wine. Decanted 30 and it benefitted with time and warmer than cellar temps. Dark fruits, smooth and integrated tannins, with earthy/meaty overtones. Long finish.
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Excellent wine from Force Majeure and drinking really well at this time. Tannins are well integrated which was not the case with one of their 2012 Collaboration Wines we drank a while back. Of course it's all about the timing...
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An MGS wine, 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah. It is an elegant and delicious. Red fruits, spice, meats and a clean white pepper on the nose. It is lush and silky with a nice minerality to it. The finish lasts for at least 30 seconds. A lot of pleasure in this bottle and it will continue to improve for at least 5-10 more years.
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Rich, delicious blackberry/dark strawberry fruit, tight and restrained initially but opened up after a day on the coravin, earthy, black licorice flavors, viscous, ample finish
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Impressively lifted bouquet of spring meadow flowers, red berries, rhubarb, orange peel oils, roasted root vegetables, garrigue, cracked peppercorns, unsweet coco powder, brick dust, old dried tar, soy sauce, and smoke. Overall, the bouquet features strong Mourvedre elements, complemented by Syrah and Grenache notes. The palate also features tart red fruits, precision, and tanginess. The attack offers bright red berry and acerola cherry notes that transition to a deeply substantive and rounded middle, backed by ample dusty tannins. The back accentuates Syrah, with pepper, garrigue, soy sauce, sous-bois, and tar. The finish presents an amalgam of all three varieties, with powdery tannins, and does not quit. Exceptionally well structured, focused, balanced, and inflection changing for a Washington MSG blend, and all variations thereof. Judicious oak treatment allows fruit, terroir, and deft winemaking to star. Among the most appealing Force Majeure wines that I have tasted. Delicious now, and still very young. It has the substance to evolve for 10 or more years and could improve. 93-95.
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I do not know how this wine only received an 85pt WS score. Perhaps time in the bottle. This wine was amazing. Needed about 30 mins to open up and once it did it sang through the whole evening. I got more Syrah on the nose than Mourvedre. Lots of black fruits, pepper, violets. Perfect in every way. Wish I had another bottle.
Little spice on the nose. First sip tart, hot, leather and strong smoke. Another sip, fruit is fighting to take control, strong flavors, bold and interesting. Someone asked now or hold, as I don't post on this wine BB I'll answer here, wine was singing by hour three, probably earned another point, so open now and decant or let them rest, no hurry.
A friend and I tasted this at the 3/1/14 release party. It had a deep, rich and powerful bouquet of violet, black cherry, blackberry, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was rich, well integrated and earthy with flavors that followed the nose.
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4/20/2024 - mojotojo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent, mature, GSM-type blend from Force Majeure. Dark cherries and other red fruit, lavendar, "french" spices, garrigue, just a hint of olive tapenade, and wet stone. The tannins have fully resolved and are silky and sweet. Lush is a good descriptor. Delicious wine wine that is complex and drinking wonderfully now and can probably last a few more years.
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4/20/2023 - gigem91 wrote: 85 Points
At the end of the drinking window. Drink soon if you have any.
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12/18/2022 - afot Likes this wine:
Still enjoyable but I‘d say slightly over the top. The aromas seemed a bit baked and still the tannins were a bit drying. Suggest to drink sooner or later but it‘s still a decent wine even though it‘s not very complex.
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5/15/2021 - ploher wrote:
Had to drink another bottle because the first was so amazing. Impressions mostly confirmed. Had some more kirsch and high pitched raspberry notes on the nose this time, but otherwise this was the same beautiful, earthy, savory experience as last time. This is really a fantastic wine with character. 17/20
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2/24/2021 - ploher wrote:
This took me by surprise. Opened as an easy midweek "Coravin-Drinker", but wow. Deep, plummy nose at first, a bit kirsch and earthy notes; but with time fresher, more red fruited, almost a bit raspberries here, the spyciness is evident. The palate is even better with its earthy, savory character, it's fresh and lifted, offering polished tannins providing a lingering finish with medium + length and intensity. The concentration is good and the wine doesn't feel too heavy. I especially like the aromatic, peppery finish. Really impressive. Drink now. 17/20
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1/10/2021 - erictayl wrote: 90 Points
Stored at 58 since release. After reading the other reviews, I am in the minority here. While much of what was written by others is correct- deep color, nice nose, big rich body, etc- I find the lack of acidity results in a flabbiness on the palate that I didn’t enjoy. I realize how subjective all of this is. What some exalt as “smooth“, I find flabby and fat. To each...
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11/16/2020 - afot Likes this wine:
Dark purple almost black in color. Needed a lot pf air, very decent fruit, incredible balance with dark fruits and spices, some funky notes (maybe from the 57% mourvedre) and some blackcurrent and licorice. Very interesting assemblage with huge mouthfeel. No hurry on opening these.
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5/9/2020 - wiscgrad wrote: 95 Points
excellent GSM blend. this wine is hitting on all cylindars.
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4/20/2020 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Nose is really interesting with hints of spice, a softness and complexity that is hard to put my finger on but draws my nose back again and again to see if I can identify it. Very attractive.
Palate:
Smooth as silk, glides along my palate and unwinds in this long, interesting path that shows complexity and elegance. James Mantone hit it out of the park on this one. A shame they stopped doing the collaboration series.
Wine Spectator got this one completely wrong. This is lovely.
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9/17/2019 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good stuff! Definitely a Washington Syrah...BIG, with lots of color, dark purple. Beautiful earthy nose, flavors all over the fruit and forest. Dark fruit, red, blue, black. Woodsy smells, like a wild briar patch or something. Sits big in your mouth, finishes into next week. Much life left.
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9/21/2018 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Purple in color. 14.7% ABV. 47% Mourvedre, 42% Syrah and 11% Grenache made by James Mantone of Syncline Winery. Savory nose of black fruits, tar, wet stones and white pepper. Concentrated and full bodied with acidity in spades. Blackberries, espresso, kirsch and smoke on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. The Mourvedre is the star here. Really delicious. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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4/30/2018 - WingedOtter Likes this wine:
Well balanced and delicious wine. Decanted 30 and it benefitted with time and warmer than cellar temps. Dark fruits, smooth and integrated tannins, with earthy/meaty overtones. Long finish.
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4/14/2018 - brown57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine from Force Majeure and drinking really well at this time. Tannins are well integrated which was not the case with one of their 2012 Collaboration Wines we drank a while back. Of course it's all about the timing...
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4/4/2018 - mojotojo Likes this wine: 92 Points
An MGS wine, 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah. It is an elegant and delicious. Red fruits, spice, meats and a clean white pepper on the nose. It is lush and silky with a nice minerality to it. The finish lasts for at least 30 seconds. A lot of pleasure in this bottle and it will continue to improve for at least 5-10 more years.
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3/28/2018 - wiscgrad wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful black and blue fruit. Rich, but light acidity and fully integrated tannin. Definitely in it's drink window
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9/20/2017 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry/dark strawberry fruit, tight and restrained initially but opened up after a day on the coravin, earthy, black licorice flavors, viscous, ample finish
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3/25/2017 - Bauman Likes this wine: 91 Points
decanted a couple of hours. Great with pork and beef.
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3/16/2017 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Impressively lifted bouquet of spring meadow flowers, red berries, rhubarb, orange peel oils, roasted root vegetables, garrigue, cracked peppercorns, unsweet coco powder, brick dust, old dried tar, soy sauce, and smoke. Overall, the bouquet features strong Mourvedre elements, complemented by Syrah and Grenache notes. The palate also features tart red fruits, precision, and tanginess. The attack offers bright red berry and acerola cherry notes that transition to a deeply substantive and rounded middle, backed by ample dusty tannins. The back accentuates Syrah, with pepper, garrigue, soy sauce, sous-bois, and tar. The finish presents an amalgam of all three varieties, with powdery tannins, and does not quit. Exceptionally well structured, focused, balanced, and inflection changing for a Washington MSG blend, and all variations thereof. Judicious oak treatment allows fruit, terroir, and deft winemaking to star. Among the most appealing Force Majeure wines that I have tasted. Delicious now, and still very young. It has the substance to evolve for 10 or more years and could improve. 93-95.
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9/1/2016 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 93 Points
I do not know how this wine only received an 85pt WS score. Perhaps time in the bottle. This wine was amazing. Needed about 30 mins to open up and once it did it sang through the whole evening. I got more Syrah on the nose than Mourvedre. Lots of black fruits, pepper, violets. Perfect in every way. Wish I had another bottle.
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1/16/2016 - Jamesgold wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding. I get more Mourvede than Grenache or Syrah. Needed some time to open.
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12/4/2015 - shadow wrote: 92 Points
Little spice on the nose. First sip tart, hot, leather and strong smoke. Another sip, fruit is fighting to take control, strong flavors, bold and interesting.
Someone asked now or hold, as I don't post on this wine BB I'll answer here, wine was singing by hour three, probably earned another point, so open now and decant or let them rest, no hurry.
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4/11/2015 - wine247365 wrote:
concentrated, spicy finish. Not a fan.
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3/1/2014 - garambler Likes this wine: 93 Points
A friend and I tasted this at the 3/1/14 release party. It had a deep, rich and powerful bouquet of violet, black cherry, blackberry, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was rich, well integrated and earthy with flavors that followed the nose.
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