What does fait accompli mean?
In French, fait is a conjugated form of the verb faire, which means to do, but it also means fact, which is the applicable context in this phrase. Fait accompli literally translates into fact accomplished. In English, fait accompli means a course of events that has already been completed and cannot be undone. Another meaning became clear once again last night when my wife and I opened a bottle of Fait Accompli “2004” Evolution from Westbrook Wine. What a delight to the nose and palate. While not the first time I have enjoyed Fait Accompli – it had been awhile since I had pulled a cork from a Westbrook bottle. Trelio Food & Wine by Chris Shackelford posted some interesting comments a few years back on a significant taste test where Westbrook Wine Farm’s “Fait Accompli” really strutted its stuff in a number of tasting rounds. 
Yes this little Jewel, which is part of The Madera Wine Trails and the Yosemite Sierra Wine Road produces some wonderful wines, and Fait Accompli is certainly Ray Krause’s flagship wine. In part the post reads :
Westbrook, Fait Accompli 2001 vs. Lynch Bages 2001
Fait wins 16 to 8 - Another wine I thought the Fait Accompli would fail to keep up with. Even though this is not one of the greatest Lynch Bages vintages, I still never thought that a solid Lynch Bages would show so poorly against the Fait. Clearly the Fait was a much more solid wine and will easily out live any Bordeaux from the 2001 vintage.
Westbrook, Fait Accompli 2002 vs. Leoville Barton 2002
Fait wins 16 to 8 - This is understandable considering the Leoville Barton rewards with patience in the cellar, not immediately out of the bottle in any way. The aromatics of these two wines were rather close and both showed well, but the Fait had the fruit advantage on this round. I think if these two would be tasted wide by side in ten years, this would be a much different fight.
Westbrook, Fait Accompli 2003 vs. Pontet Canet 2003
Fait wins 12 to 11/ one Tied - I picked the 2003 Pontet Canet for this round as I remembered it as a more approachable wine upon release with very significant fruit quality. This was a very tight competition as the wines were structurally, and in many fruit characteristics, very similar. This was a very even match and could have gone either way.
Westbrook, Fait Accompli 2004 vs. Petite Bocq 2005
Fait wins 17 to 7 - To mix things up a little, due to knowing that the 2004 Bordeaux vintage would not really have a chance at showing at this point (and I don’t own any 2004), I substituted a decent unclassified from the 2005, that has more modern wine-making practices. Overall the Petite Bocq was very out classed in this round and a mistake for me to even put in.
Westbrook, Fait Accompli 2005 vs. Chateau Pipeau 2005
Tied Round 12 to 12 - Overall I think this round was different game. I wanted to throw in a wine that was a totally different blend and a wine I knew would drink young and ready. For me this was a tie as well as both wines were a little closed and entirely too young to be consumed at this point.
A recent dinner and the bottle of Fait Accompli was certainly no disappointment. Wonderful nose and the flavors just seem to surround your mouth with velvety-smooth pleasure. So glad I have one more laying down, wish I had a few more although I have few more recent vintages laying down. Such a great wine from Madera’s wine trail? Oh, yes! I am going to the winery to talk Ray Krause out of a few more of this wineries gems real soon. There area a lot of wines produced in California, and so many very good ones. If you enjoy good Bordeaux style wines you owe it to yourself to try Fait Accompli. Not French, but certainly one of the premier wines of the Golden State. Ray Krause, owner and winemaker at Westbrook Wine Farm put it this way;
“FAIT ACCOMPLI” 2004 “Evolution” Estate Grown, Madera County. Perhaps our most harmonious and well-integrated rendition of Westbrook’s flagship wines to date. “You might say that a screw cap is more user friendly than a cork but then so is a bag-in-box and we don’t see many of them being cellared either. We find that our level of consumer would rather CRACK the WAX !
Have you visited Ray Krause at Westbrook Wine Farm? Did you have a favorite wine during you tasting? If not it is worth the effort to make an appointment and take a beautiful drive up to O’Neal’s, CA. More than just a tasting, a perhaps unexpected wine experience. – Share your thoughts – Please.
