CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen Taken Chardonnay 2014
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaQueen Taken is a single vineyard wine located Southwest of the town of Oliver, beneath Mt. Kobau and the Thompson Plateau on the Golden Mile Bench DVA. It was initially tagged the Heritage Vineyard in 2013, but ever since, it was named the Dekleva Vineyard in honour of the family that first planted the unknown chardonnay clone now more than 40 years ago. The west side valley soils are predominantly a gravel-based mix of coarse Stemwinder, Ponderosa, and Ratnip soils that are the washed down rubble of the fluvial fans that define the Golden Mile sub-GI below Mount Kobau. Its exposition welcomes a very early warming sunrise. At the same time, it protects the fruit from baking in the late day thanks to the early evening shadows cast by Kobau, thus extending the ripening season while retaining its bright acidity, an Okanagan Valley signature. It's been a while since we last tasted this vintage, but it is holding on with tenacity. 2014 was a warm year, but the McGahan picked with enough acidity to balance off the ripe fruit and give it obvious freshness even now in the mouth. Citrus peel, white peaches, tropical fruit, and some barrel reduction notes bump up against a whack of mineral/flinty/wet stone character, helping to freshen the wine. Longer hang time and night picking further sharpened the edges. It is at its peak right now. It was 88 percent wild fermented, and the final wine was aged 16 months in French oak barrels, of which just under half were new. The final production was limited to seven barrels. Impressive and ready for a lobster feast.Tasted: 29 August 2020Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$125.00
750ml
winery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 514984UPC: 776545800558
CheckMate Artisanal Winery Queen Taken Chardonnay 2014
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaThe Queen Taken Chardonnay comes off the Dekleva Vineyard, perhaps the coolest of all the chardonnay sites. It sits between 362 to 377 metres above sea level, inside the Golden Mile Bench sub-GI just southwest of the town of Oliver beneath Mt. Kobau and the Thompson Plateau. The vineyard is now over 40-years-old and is planted to a chardonnay clone that is of unknown origin. The folks at Checkmate are calling it the Dekleva Selection after the original family who planted it. The soils that help to define the Golden Mile Bench DVA are a predominantly gravelly and coarse mix of Stemwinder, Ponderosa and Ratnip. The trick in warm 2014 was to balance off the ripe fruit with acidity. The nose has essences of citrus peel and white peach combined with tropical, floral notes, as well as that mineral wet stone character. The palate has generous fruit flavours, layered mid-palate richness and focused acidity (longer hangtime here) providing a long textured finish. The fruit was hand-picked at night, and in this case fermented 88 percent wild. The final wine was aged 16 months in French oak barrels of which 49 percent were new. Production was limited to seven barrels.Tasted: 30 March 2017Tasted by: Prices:
BC
$125.00
750ml
winery club members
Producer: CheckMate Artisanal WineryDistributors: Mark Anthony Wines and Spirits Grape: ChardonnayCSPC: 514984UPC: 776545800558
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