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CheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2018
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaLast time out, I worked through a vertical of Fool's Mate, tasting every vintage to date (2013-2017). As young as the winery is, I learned that the original ageing window, about five years, is expanding quickly into the 7-10 year range as the wines evolve in the bottle. 2018, like all its predecessors, is the only chardonnay that is a blend of sites, fitting the adage that the sum may be greater than the parts. The current edition is 63 percent eastern fruit from Sunset, Jagged Rock, and Border Vista, with lesser amounts from Dekelva and Combret vineyards. The clones are equally mixed: Dijon 76, Dijon 95, 809, Dekleva, and Combret. The use of more high-end Burgundy barriques at 77% (49% new) and 23% concrete egg is adding more dimension to the wine. Look for a slightly sweeter pear character in 2018, with ripe melon, plenty of creamy lees, minerality, and that saline, desert scrub/savoury undercurrent that keeps it all together. It is impressive now, and it will improve in the bottle over the next five years — one for the cellar.Tasted: 12 June 2021Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $80.00 | 750ml | winery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops |
Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 628917UPC: 776545802071
