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95POINTS
18/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Opening Gambit Merlot 2020
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaIn 2020, Opening Gambit revealed its richest characters, taking advantage of an excellent year for red wines, particularly in the south Okanagan. It was in year two of its transition to organics, something we now know will help this wine ripen earlier at lower alcohols as it moves forward, allowing for it to add more finesse to the mix. Under winemaker Spencer Kelly, the plan is to increase the merlot percentage and reduce any other blending varieties to improve the purity and finesse of the wine. The wine comes from two vineyards on the east side of Osoyoos, Border Vista and Vineyard 3, just a little north of Border Vista but right under Anarchist Highway. The vines are now 28 years old, growing at 330 to 437m on various expositions. It is wild fermented and spends 21 months in new French oak barrels. Like the 2016 harvest, the nose opens with intense black cherries and cassis, with streaks of baking chocolate. More black raspberry and cherry patrol a polished palate flecked with dark chocolate, tobacco, and desert scrub. This will cellar nicely through 2027 and drink well through 2032.Tasted: 08 March 2024Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $100.00 | 750ml | winery online/direct |
| BC | $200.00 | 1500ml | winery online/direct |
| BC | $500.00 | 3000ml | winery direct/online |
| BC | $1010.00 | 750ml | winery direct/online |
Grape: MerlotCSPC: 362684UPC: 776545803108
