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 the bottle. Two-thirds of 2014 was wild fermented, while the ageing process was 16 months in an 85/15 mix of French oak barrels (42 percent new) and concrete eggs. The clonal mix is diverse, blending Dijon 76, Dijon 95, Dekleva selection, and the Combret selection. I still think it's the most complex of the early releases. The aromatics are toning down as the South Okanagan sagebrush notes quietly surface. The salty acidity we see in subsequent vintages is very prevalent. Power and elegance; this wine is beginning to peak in all departments. It is the Next World Okanagan. Roast chicken, anyone?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 was a blend of sites in 2013, and it remained so in 2014. The year two mix is made up of The Barn Vineyard, Black Sage (51), Sunset Vineyard, Black Sage (19), Border Vista Vineyard, Osoyoos East Bench (7), Dekleva Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench (15) and Combret Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench (8). It's not just the different lots and single-vineyard sites, but it is also a rare mix of different mesoclimates and expositions facing north, east, west and south. Two-thirds of the blend is wild fermented, while the ageing process runs 16 months in an 85/15 mix of French oak barrels (42 percent new) and concrete eggs. The clonal mix is diverse, blending Dijon 76, Dijon 95, Dekleva selection and the Combret selection. We think it's the most complex of the early releases. Winemaker Phil McGahan suggests you lose some of the site's specificity in any blend, but you can get a more authentic expression of the south Okanagan. We love the complexity here and the aromatic, peachy, melon fruit flavours with a slice of toasted oak and lees. Best of all is the salty acidity giving the entire wine structure and grace and classic south Okanagan sagebrush: power and elegance. Production totalled 32 barrels and two concrete eggs.Tasted: 30 March 2017Tasted 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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