Checkmate

 Checkmate Artisanal Winery was established by the Okanagan pioneer and luminary Anthony von Mandl. He had ignited the Okanagan wine scene in the early ‘80s with his purchase and reinvention of Mission Hill.  CheckMate opened in 2013, focussed on the premise that the Okanagan Valley has the potential to produce top flight Chardonnay and Merlot to compete with any other region. 
 The winery itself is set in the heart of the south Okanagan, nestled against the rocky outcrops of Mt. Kobau. There are three principal vineyards: Jagged Rock, Dekleva-Combret, and Sunset.  Jagged Rock lies in the Okanagan Highland foothills of the Black Sage Bench just southeast of Oliver and has Chardonnay blocks which were planted in 1999 on a west-facing plateau with a mix of clone 76 and the heritage Dekleva clone. Dekleva-Combret is southwest of the town of Oliver, a vineyard containing some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in Canada. Located beneath Mt. Kobau and the Thompson Plateau, these vines are nearly 50 years old. The vines are again of the distinctive Dekleva Chardonnay clone. Sunset is situated south of Jagged Rock and, perfectly aligned with a gap in the range across the valley, basks in the sun late into the evening. Thirty years ago, it was planted with Dijon clones 76 & 95 on soils of gravelly sand on slopes facing southwest. The warm exposure and highly porous soils are ideal for  Chardonnay. 
 In 2023 Spencer Kelly joined Checkmate as head winemaker, taking over from founding winemaker Phil McGahan. A native who grew up just a few miles from the winery, it marked a return home after many years working in the Napa Valley, most recently at Eisele. 
 The mission at CheckMate is ambitious: to beat “them” at their own game by combining Old-World techniques and New-World innovation to create “Next-World” Chardonnay and Merlot that are admired and respected on the global stage. The Chardonnays are opulent, balanced by lively acidity and mineral elements. The Merlots are plush, well-oaked and packed with black fruit. Far from being over the top, they are fresh, complex and long, with accents of violet, spice and herbs, a fusion of luxuriance and restraint.