CheckMate's superb 2018 Merlots

Photo: Winemaker Philip McGahan

In the ultimate example of focus, CheckMate Artisanal Winery makes wine from just two varietals, Chardonnay and Merlot. The grapes are all from south Okanagan Vineyards operated by Anthony von Mandl’s Sebastian Farms. This post is concerned with reviewing four of CheckMate’s 2018 Merlot wines which are to be released late this spring or early summer. As always, these are excellent wines.

Why did CheckMate settle on Merlot when winemaker and general manager Philip McGahan was getting the winery launched? “There is not that much Syrah planted in our vineyard holdings,” says Philip, who, as an Australian, would surely be comfortable making Syrah. Of course, he would likely want to call it Shiraz, as the Australians do. “Merlot was obviously one of the big plantings early on in the valley, so those were the most mature vines, and the most diversity from which we could source fruit in the South Okanagan,” Philip continues. “Merlot is the most consistent variety. We can get it ripe and off before the early cold snaps come in mid-October. There have been several years where the cold snap is 8th or 9th of October, where it suddenly drops to -8C. We generally have our Merlots off by that time. And we felt that while Merlot can be a big, jammy kind of wine in California or Australia, when it is in an environment that is a bit tougher on it, it can make a more complex wine.”

Cabernet Sauvignon was not considered as a single varietal wine for CheckMate, and not just because this grape is not as widely grown as Merlot but also because it ripens later than Merlot. “The feeling about Cabernet Sauvignon is that, while it can be great in blends, as a standalone wine, you will not get that consistency year over year,” Philip explains.

The 2019 vintage is a case in point when Merlot succeeded while Cabernet Sauvignon faced a challenge when there was a sharp October 9 freeze that turned vine leaves brown and stopped any ripening activity. “I remember that year,” Philip says. “We were picking our last Merlot on the morning of the freeze. It did not impact the fruit but the canopy was gone by the end of the day. We went through and picked everything.” Because of a inadvertent early wine release (to reviewers) by Checkmate, I tasted and reviewed the 2019 Merlots earlier this year. Those wines have yet to be released. However, the quality is very high, a credit to the viticultural acumen of Sebastian Farms. I scored the four wines in the high 90s.

Here are notes on the 2018s.

CheckMate End Game Merlot 2018 ($95 for nine barrels). The fruit for this wine is from vineyards on the Black Sage Bench and the Osoyoos East Bench. Fermentation was done with indigenous yeast and the wine was aged in new French oak for 21 months. The wine begins with aromas of black cherry, blueberry, plum and spice. The palate repeats the aromas, with flavours of black cherry mingled with spice. 95.

CheckMate Silent Bishop Merlot 2018 ($95 for nine barrels). The fruit for this wine is from vineyards on western benches in the South Okanagan. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeast and aged 21 months in new French oak. The bright aromas and flavours reflect that the fruit is from the cooler side of the valley. There are aromas of red currant, raspberry and cherry with green herbal notes, all of which carries through to the flavour. The tannins, while ripe, still have grip. 94.

CheckMate Opening Gambit Merlot 2018 ($95 for 12 barrels). The fruit for this wine is from Osoyoos East Bench vineyards. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeast and aged 21 months in new French oak. This wine begins with intense aromas of cassis and cherry. The intensity is repeated on the palate with ripe flavours of dark cherry and cassis that lead to hints of chocolate and tobacco on the very long finish. The plush tannins enhance the texture. 98.

CheckMate Black Rook Merlot 2018 ($95 for 10 barrels). The fruit for this wine is all from vineyards on the Black Sage Bench. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeast and aged 21 months in new French oak. Once again, the aromas bound from the glass, with notes of brambleberry, cherry, sage and spice. On the rich palate, there are flavours of dark fruits, coffee and licorice. Ripe tannins support a lingering finish. 97.