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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Black Rook Merlottext
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CheckMate Artisanal Winery Black Rook Merlot 2016

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaRetasted six months down the road, Black Rook remains focused on getting to the finish line somewhere around 2030. The fruit comes off the Black Sage Bench, pushed up against the Okanagan Highlands at 300+ metres. It is a warm, sandy site with low vigour soil that shapes small clusters, yielding intense black fruit that possesses both power and finesse. The mix in 2016 is 90 percent merlot, 5 percent petit verdot, and 5 percent cabernet franc. There was a splash of syrah in the blend last year, and it appears better without it. It remains a rich, brooding red wine, aged in 100 percent new French oak, but it presents with a sense of elegance and could be described as light on its feet, at least in the front end. The finish is warm and spicy. Only nine barrels were made in 2016. Buy and hold.Tasted: 29 August 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC$85.00750mlwinery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops
BC$196.001500mlwinery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops
BC$480.003000mlwinery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops
BC$989.006000mlwinery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits
Grape: MerlotCSPC: 655431UPC: 776545801340