Checkmate Chardonnay 'Queen Taken' 2020 750 ml

Description:

CheckMate Artisanal Winery is a highly focused project under the direction of Anthony von Mandl, a visionary leader in Canadian wine and founder of Mission Hill Family Estate. Located in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, the winery is devoted to producing site-specific Chardonnay and Merlot. ‘Queen Taken’ is crafted from old-vine Chardonnay planted on the Golden Mile Bench, a subregion known for its gravelly soils and excellent sun exposure. The wine embodies the winery’s philosophy of minimal intervention, wild fermentation, and precision winemaking to reveal the unique character of each site.

Wine Description
Pale gold in the glass, this Chardonnay opens with aromatic notes of lemon sorbet, flinty minerality, salted cashew, and white peach. The palate is elegant and layered, revealing flavours of lemon curd, baked apple, and a hint of almond pastry. Medium to full-bodied, it exhibits a silky texture and a long, harmonious finish with restrained oak and fresh acidity. The wine is fermented with wild yeasts in French oak and undergoes full malolactic fermentation, resulting in richness without losing its precise edge. Drinking beautifully now but will evolve through 2030.

Accolades
John Schreiner – 95 points
Anthony Gismondi – 93 points
Wine Enthusiast – 92 points

Food Pairing
An excellent match for butter-poached lobster, roasted chicken with tarragon cream, or seared scallops in lemon beurre blanc. This pairing highlights the wine’s depth and character.