Cult Winemaker Leaves Napa for Washington

NOT JUST ANOTHER WINEMAKER HIRE ITS A HISTORIC MOMENT, SAYS WINERY OWNER.
BY W. BLAKE GRAY | MONDAY, 09-JUN-2014
D
oes Washington states
Red Mountain need more
afrmation of its great-
ness as wine terroir? Last
week winemaker Todd
Alexander lef one of Napa Val-
leys priciest wineries, Bryant
Family Vineyard, to take a job at
Force Majeure in Washington.
As far as I know, thats the frst
time Washingtons ever been able
to recruit a cult-wine Napa guy to
Washington state, said Force Ma-
jeure owner Paul McBride. Its a
historic moment for Washington
as a serious wine region. Its more
serious than just another wine-
maker hire.
Alexander, 36, Bryants wine-
maker for the past four years, will
no longer be working with the hill-
side vineyard in Napas Pritchard
Hill district that produced a string
of high 90s scores in the Wine Ad-
vocate. Instead he will be given the
freedom to make his own mark on
Washingtons Red Mountain.
I couldve stayed at Bryant and
just kept steering the ship, but it
wasnt all that exciting to me, Al-
exander told Wine Searcher. Te
wines were getting so expensive.
Tat was a turnof. I want to make
wines I can aford to drink.
Force Majeure is a unique op-
portunity because, while it al-
ready has some critical acclaim,
it hasnt really had a winemaker.
All the companys previous wines
were part of the Collaboration Se-
ries, where diferent Washington
winemakers made the wines at
their own facilities.
Previously known as Grand
Reve, the company has a hill-
side vineyard on Red Mountain
planted to Bordeaux varieties and
Syrah. It had to change its name
afer Domaine Carneros, which
makes a sparkling wine called Le
Reve, complained. McBride said
Domaine Carneros noticed the
newcomer afer its 2007 Caber-
net got 97 points from Te Wine
Spectator.
Now, Force Majeure will build
a winery to Alexanders specif-
cations in Woodinville, a suburb
of Seattle.
Washingtons such a wide-
open place. Everybody knows it
can make wine, but theres room
to grow, Alexander explained.
Well try to make really great
wine, but we dont want to use a
scarcity model to drive up prices.
Tats not what were trying to do.
Washington doesnt get enough
credit for its great wine. Well see
what we can do.
Chris Stone, vice president of
marketing and communications
for the Washington Wine Com-
mission, said: I would take it as
another sign that Washington
state wines continue to gain mo-
mentum and emerge as a world-
class region. With all the recent
outside investment, and now this
development, I think its safe to
say the quality and limitless po-
tential of Washington state are no
longer a secret.