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91POINTS
16¾/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Silent Bishop Merlot 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Silent Bishop is all about the cooler Western benches where the sun routinely disappears behind Mount Kobau in the late afternoon. The fruit is an 86/8/5/1 mix of merlot, petit verdot, syrah and cabernet franc, off three separate sites in Oliver North, Golden Mile, and Osoyoos West bask in much more temperate morning sun. The nose is focused and intense, with floral red fruit undertones and fine fresh acidity. The style is a touch more linear on the west side, with cooler, anise notes and brown spice. It's worth noting how chalky and refined the tannin is here. Like last year it has a quiet sophistication that will persist throughout the next decade as this wine comes into its own. The 2014 ferment is 100 percent wild and undergoes 50-52 days of maceration to help build structure and body. The numbers, 14.7 percent alcohol, with an average PH of 3.65 and TA of 6.2, point to an inherent richness with freshness. This Silent Bishop is incrementally better than year one, which is saying something. It is nowhere near ready, but you could crack a bottle with a T-bone steak now if you had to.Tasted: 30 March 2017Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml | winery club members |
Grape: MerlotCSPC: 387530UPC: 776545800343
