![]() Seventy-two percent of the blend comes from Jagged Rock, a piece of dirt that sits just east of Phantom Creek on the Black Sage Bench. Fool’s Mate is the only blend of sites, and it fits the adage of 'the sum is greater than its parts' most years. The last wine in the vertical lineup was the youngest, 2017. We learned that the original ageing window, thought to be about five years by winemaker Phil McGahan, is quickly expanding into the 7-10 year range as the wines evolve in the bottle. As young as the winery is, it was a revelation. On this day, we tasted every vintage of Fool’s Mate from 2013 to 2017. It’s the ultimate test of a wine’s ability to express each vintage while revealing its fingerprint and, even more important, to demonstrate whether it can age over time in the bottle. Grape: Chardonnay CSPC: 628917 UPC: 776545802071ĬheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2017 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada One of the perks of wine writing is the opportunity to take part in vertical tastings once in a while to track a single wine through several vintages. Producer: CheckMate Artisanal Winery Distributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Tasted: 06 December 2020 Tasted by: Prices: BCĘ0.00 winery direct, restaurants, select private wine shops It also is 66 percent wild fermented, which McGahan claims adds some complexing white noise to the mix. At 14.1 percent alcohol, the organic viticulture continues to encourage phenolic ripeness at an earlier stage, allowing for earlier picking and lower alcohols. Expect a cool pear, nectarine affair supported by a savoury mineral undercurrent and a long, silky, saline, smooth finish. Winemaker Phil McGahan used eight high end Burgundy barrels that were 41 percent new, plus one foudre, and one concrete egg. It's not Burgundy, and it is not California, but it is all Checkmate and Okanagan, and it has plenty of life ahead. The elegance and general style is getting better and better: think more ballerina, less tap dancer. The clones are equally diverse: Dijon 76, Dijon 95, 809, Dekleva, and Combret, and the results are highly encouraging. The other sites in play include 11 percent Border Vista Vineyard (Osoyoos), with 5 percent contributions from Sunset Vineyard (Black Sage Bench), and Dekleva and Combret vineyards (Golden Mile Bench). The mix is 74 percent Jagged Rock Vineyards, dirt that sits just east of Phantom Creek on the Black Sage Bench. CheckMate Artisanal Winery Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2017 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada Tasted twice now, Fool's Mate is a blend of sites, and it is clear 'the sum is greater than its parts' in 2017.
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