Force Majeure Parabellum Alluvio 2016
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 62% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Parabellum Alluvio is the entry-level Bordeaux blend (the second wine, if you will) and it is 62% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot. It's complex, layered, and incredibly elegant, with silky tannins as well as loads of dried cherries, bouquet garni, crushed rock, and hints of spring flower. I’m always shocked at the quality of this estate’s so-called entry level wines, and this is a beautiful wine in its own right. Drink it any time over the coming 10-15 years.
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Wine Spectator
Dynamic and built for the cellar, with black cherry, bay leaf and graphite-tinged mineral notes that build richness and potency toward well-buffed tannins. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2016 Parabellum Alluvio has a full nose with a mineral-rich dustiness that is covered by juicy plum, blackberry essence, mocha and crème de cassis. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the wine shows precision and focus with a clean core of dark fruit tones and oak spices. The wine is focused and has an open-knit structure and ends with a lingering finish, showing an excellent value for this 300-case production. Rating: 90+
Other Vintages
2019-
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
This Herculean effort involved the careful matching of varietal and clonal selections, trellising and irrigation to the nine distinct soil types formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity. The outcome is a vineyard articulated into many small "micro-blocks," to meet the management demands of this unique and dynamic site. Due to the rough, rocky nature of the acreage and elevations ranging from 960 to 1,230 feet, mechanization is virtually impossible in the upper portion of Force Majeure, requiring true "farming by hand." Yet the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils.
Thus, the diversity of our vineyard results in a versatility that allows us to grow a variety of compelling fruit characterized by stunning intensity, depth and concentration, complex flavors and fine tannins. We nurture a variety of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals at this special site and look forward to sharing, quite literally, the "fruits of our labor" with you.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.