A Moment with The Alexanders

There are specific moments in your life that you’ll never forget. One of my moments happened recently when I was lucky enough to meet Todd and Carrie Alexander. Todd is the winemaker for Force Majeure (from my beloved Washington) and Carrie, his wife, pretty much does everything else. Together, they are a force of extreme passion and two of the coolest people I’ve met.

My associate and I met Todd and Carrie at Sepia in the West Loop area of Chicago. I got to know them fairly well during dinner as I asked several questions while we kicked back a few bottles of wine, which were Todd’s picks and they were perfect! Todd and Carrie were incredibly laid back, quick-witted, knowledgeable, and conversational proving that wine experts aren’t always the stereotypical pretentious type!

So let’s talk about the wines…

Force Majeure Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 2013:  This estate grown Cab had aromas of herbs, licorice, oak, black and white pepper and luxurious dark fruits for days! The dark fruits follow through on the palate with robust tannins and a velvety mouth feel. Although this will only improve for another six years it was absolutely delicious in every aspect now!

Force Majeure Syrah, Red Mountain 2013: Aromas of granite, tobacco, plum, pencil lead, ink and a hint of raspberries (with age I’d imagine the fruit will come through much more). The flavors pack a punch with layered tannins and deep fruits. Although I enjoyed this wine immensely I can only imagine how much more amazing this wine will be in another five plus years.

In fairness, the wines we enjoyed were from 2013 and Todd wasn’t hired hired until 2014. Based on what we sampled though, Force Majeure knows how to make a good juice and with my new friend Todd at the helm I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them. I am confident the wine will be as stellar and as memorable as the evening I had with them!

Sláinte! TCW