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94POINTS
17½/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Opening Gambit Merlot 2016
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOpening Gambit 2016 is a blend of 85.7/ 9.5/4.5 merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc, the latter two having a lasting impact on the style of this delicious bottle. The vines grow on a steep undulating slope site between 330m to 437m above sea level with various expositions. As a result, it's a touch less hedonistic in 2016 and more serious in keeping with what looks to be a terrific growing season for the much-maligned grape variety. The nose is fragrant and savoury, but in 2016, the fruit particularly red/black and very pure. The texture is creamy/supple, aided by dense sweet sift tannins that build the structure without drying the wine. Bolgheri-like, its savoury mocha finish, is part of the charm. Inspected cluster-by-cluster, the fruit is all hand-sorted and gently destemmed before another round of individual berries selection is done before an all-natural indigenous ferment. Post ferment, the juice is gravity drained into 100 percent new French oak barrels for 21 months of ageing. All the Checkmate reds are bottled unfined and unfiltered, suggesting decanting will be necessary some time down the road. It was tasted as part of vertical tasting on February 4, 2020.Tasted: 13 April 2020Tasted by: Prices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml | winery direct, wine club members |
| BC | $196.00 | 1500ml | winery direct, wine club members |
| BC | $480.00 | 3000ml | winery direct, wine club members |
| BC | $989.00 | 6000ml | winery direct, wine club members |
Grape: MerlotCSPC: 408161UPC: 776545801753
