quicksearch
93POINTS
17¼/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFool’s Mate is a blend of five south Okanagan sites and five clones: Dijon 76, Dijon 95, 809, Dekleva and Combret. Sixty percent is coming off the Black Sage Bench from Jagged Rock (nee The Barn Vineyard) and Sunset Vineyard. The rest is from Dekelva Vineyard and Combret on the Golden Mile Bench, and a small amount from Border Vista Vineyard on the Osoyoos East Bench. The secret weapon here is a single concrete egg ferment that joins the nine barrels of French oak (47 percent new), which play home to the juice for 16 months. It is the most sophisticated wine made at Checkmate in many ways, combining so many sites, expositions, and clones. In 2016 it took full advantage of an excellent vintage to establish a fresh/tight frame that allows a richer midpalate to hang effortlessly. The predominant flavours are peach and nectarine, aided by lemon, hints of brioche, excellent minerality, and a favourable palate-cleansing saline finish. This wine was built to age, and its transformation through 2023 should be fascinating.Tasted: 18 October 2019Tasted by: Prices:| BC | $80.00 | 750ml | winery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops |
Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545801623
