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94POINTS
17½/20
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen's Advantage Chardonnay Combret Vineyard 2021
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaQueen's Advantage is rooted in the country's oldest, most traditional chardonnay vines, planted in 1973. The unknown clone takes the vineyard name Combret, a single estate plot of gnarly 48 year old vines deeply rooted in the Golden Mile Bench hillside site of calcium carbonate coated stones. The vineyard sits at 1266-1319 feet and has been painstakingly restored via precision agriculture. The result is an exciting chardonnay with cooler floral tones that capture electricity on the midpalate, and layer crème brûlée and pineapple flecked with ginger, followed by pears, wet stone, and minerals. I love the structure and balance of this wine, which suggest it will age effortlessly. According to winemaker Spencer Kelly, the Heat Dome of 2021 has less effect on white wines. The vines, now deeply rooted, are tapping into the calcium carbonate rocks embedded in the fluvial fan. The ferment is 67% wild in 52% new French oak, all barrel aged for 16 months. QA is all about freshness and persistence now while building richness throughout, suggesting Dungeness crab or lobster would be a good match.Tasted: 08 March 2024Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $100.00 | 750ml | winery direct |
| BC | $200.00 | 1500ml | winery direct |
| BC | $500.00 | 3000ml | winery online/direct |
| BC | $1010.00 | 750ml | winery direct/online |
Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 457262UPC: 776545803023
