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94POINTS
17½/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Attack Chardonnay 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaAttack is the odd man out amongst Checkmate chardonnays. It is a co-ferment of two single vineyards, Jagged Rock (Black Sage Bench) and Border Vista Vineyard (Osoyoos East Bench), fermented and aged 16 months in a single, new French oak foudre. Unlike last year when the weather was super hot, an excellent 2016 harvest allowed all the wine to go through an acid softening malolactic fermentation. Attack opens with an attractive seashore scented breeze and brightness that pulls you into the glass. The structure is fresh and tight, with minerality and texture reminiscent of Chablis. Add to that flinty, saline notes flecked with strong tropical fruit and spice, and you have an impressive glass of wine. The density and persistence are top class, and the complexity suggests this will age effortlessly through the next seven to ten years in bottle — next world BC chardonnay. Serve with Vancouver Island oysters on the half shell.Tasted: 18 October 2019Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $115.00 | 750ml | winery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops |
Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 798280UPC: 776545801586
