Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOne of the perks of wine writing is the opportunity to take part in vertical tastings once in a while to track a single wine through several vintages. It's the ultimate test of a wine's ability to express each vintage while revealing its fingerprint, and even more important, to demonstrate whether it can age over time in the bottle. On this day, we tasted every vintage to date of Fool's Mate, from 2013-2017. As young as the winery is, it was a revelation. We learned that the original ageing window, thought to be about five years by winemaker Phil McGahan, is quickly expanding into the 7-10 year range as the wines evolve in bottle. The original release was in 2013, and it is more or less at its peak now, with its 14.5 percent alcohol and 50 percent new oak starting to show some age. The good news is the acidity. Now a mark of Fool's Mate remains and keeps the wine alive in the bottle. 2013 is the one to drink now while you wait on the newer releases. Lobster, halibut, and old cheeses all work here.Tasted: 04 February 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$80.00
750ml
winery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545800244
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFool's Mate is the only 'blend of sites' included in the initial Checkmate release that featured four other chardonnays from single south Okanagan sites. The trio of places here, mixed in an 11/64/25 proportion, includes the home site on the Golden Mile Bench, the Barn Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench, and the Border Vineyard south Osoyoos. We think it's the most complex, but it is not just the different lots taken from the single vineyard releases. It also mixes three very different mesoclimates that reflect each site's expositions, be it a north-facing environment (one that gets morning sun) or late day sun. McGahan says you lose some of the site's specificity, but you can get a more authentic expression of the south Okanagan. The nose is a pleasant mix of brioche and spice with a hint of sagebrush. The palate is creamy with good acidity and peach/pear, hazelnut notes and a long creamy, leesy, textured finish: power and elegance. The fruit was night picked by hand on the 11, 17, 18 and 19 of September. Some fifteen percent is wild fermented before all the wine was aged 17 to 18 months in French oak, half of which was new. Three and a half years out, this wine is no one's fool.Tasted: 09 April 2017Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$80.00
750ml
winery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545800244
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe only 'blend' of the initial quintuple Checkmate release is the 2013 Fool's Mate Chardonnay. In this case, winemaker McGahan decided to mix three different climates that form what the Checkmate team calls the golden triangle south of McIntyre Bluff, a prominent geological feature long thought to separate the southern Okanagan Valley from the north. Fool's Mate is an 11/64/25 amalgam of Heritage Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench; the Barn Vineyard, Black Sage Bench; and the Border Vineyard in south Osoyoos. The most complex of the releases has a bit of all three vineyards, mostly different lots from the single vineyard releases, but it is more luxurious than the sum of its parts like most blends. McGahan says you lose some of the site's specificity, but you can get more of the true expression of the south Okanagan. The nose is a pleasant mix of brioche and spice with hints of sagebrush. The palate is creamy with good acidity and peach/pear, hazelnut notes and a long creamy, leesy, textured finish: power and elegance. The fruit was night picked by hand on the 11, 17, 18 and 19 of September. Some fifteen percent is wild fermented before all the wine was aged 17 to 18 months in French oak, half of which was new — a great start.Tasted: 19 October 2015Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$80.00
750ml
winery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545800244
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