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94POINTS
17½/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen's Advantage Chardonnay 2017
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOur first look at 2017 is favourable. The fruit was harvested by hand on September 14th after several weeks of smoky skies, but there was no immediate effect with no nearby fires. However, the inversion layer did ramp up mildew that thrived in the humid air, so you had to be on top of that, and as you might expect, they were at Checkmate. The wine was made in three batches mixing wild ferments and various other percentages of inoculated yeats. The nose is a lovely floral affair with threads of wet stone/mineral notes mixed with ripe tropical melons and citrus. The palate is equally intense nectarine orange marmalade notes and a dash of exotic litchi fruit. Only 8 barrels were made — all French oak and 44 percent new; the remainder ranges from one to four fills. The texture and mouthfeel are as refined as possible and bodes well for another six, three, to five years of bottle ageing.Tasted: 01 September 2020Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $85.00 | 750ml | winery direct |
| BC | $190.00 | 1500ml | winery direct |
Grape: ChardonnayUPC: 776545802118
