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2020 Force Majeure Vineyards Parvata

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

January 11, 2026 - $46

Estimate

RATINGS

97Owen Bargreen

...nose shows off white pepper, with Asian spices, brisket and shades of wild blackberry...palate is very dense but also seamless and elegant on the mouth. Weightless with its rich core of roasted dates and boysenberry alongside menthol, scorched earth and salty undertones...

94+ The Wine Advocate

...nose is classic, fresh and red-fruited with dusty florals, succulent spiced cherry and dusty plums. Full-bodied, the mouthfeel is rich and round with a juicy core...bright and focused finish with notes of lingering red peppercorns on the aftertaste.

93Wine Spectator

Opens with a burst of fresh raspberry and red currant flavors, then slowly takes on deep structure and compelling accents of savory beef, licorice and pepper, finishing with big but polished tannins.

93.3CellarTracker

92Vinous / IWC

...exotic and expressive, with foreign spice and dried blood orange giving way to deeper notes of red plum and dried strawberries. Silky, nearly opulent in feel, this impresses further with waves of texturally ripe red and blue fruits complicated by an undercurrent of chalky minerals...finishes lightly structured with nuances of raspberry and chalky tannins that resonate.

92Jeb Dunnuck

...offers smoky red and black fruits as well as notes of lavender, peppery herbs, leather, and flowers. Medium to full-bodied and up front, it has good mid-palate density and ripe yet building tannins.

PRODUCER

Force Majeure Vineyards

Force Majeure Vineyards was originally called Grand Reve. It was founded in Woodinville, near Seattle, in 2004. It was a collaboration between businessman Paul McBride and vineyard manager Ryan Johnson. Johnson had spent a decade managing vineyards in Eastern Washington’s prestigious Red Mountain AVA and he and McBride wanted to focus on Rhone-style varietals. Grand Reve, which means “great dream” in French, was soon winning raves and ratings in the mid-90s from Wine Advocate and other reviews. McBride and his wife Susan then changed the winery name to Force Majeure, and they’ve hired winemaker Todd Alexander to oversee winemaking. Alexander was previously winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard in Napa Valley. More recently McBride and Johnson have also started a project they call the “collaboration” series in which guest winemakers make wines from Red Mountain grapes. Jeb Dunnick of Wine Advocate has called Force Majeure “One of my favorite estates in Washington… The focus here is always Red Mountain fruit, with grapes pulled mostly from the crème de la crème Ciel du Cheval vineyard, and increasingly from their estate Force Majeure Vineyard as more and more plots come online.”

REGION

United States, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.

VINTAGE

2020 Force Majeure Vineyards Parvata