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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnaytext
92POINTS
17/20

CheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2013

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$80.00750mlwinery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits
Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545800244