Okanagan’s Checkmate winery welcomes home vintner Spencer Kelly

Article content

Winemaker Spencer Kelly returned home to the Okanagan Valley last July to take over as winemaker and general manager at Checkmate Artisanal Winery. The move closed a loop for Kelly, who grew up just a few kilometres north of the Golden Mile winery in the village of Kaleden on Skaha Lake.

Kelly attended UBC, completing a BA in food science, which led to an oenology and viticulture degree at California State University at Fresno. His resume includes some impressive stops at Seavey Winery in Napa Valley, once described by Robert Parker Jr. as “one of the great, unheralded, under-the-radar terroirs in all of Napa Valley,” as well as spending time at the legendary Stagecoach Vineyards, whose 1,300-plus acres of rocky, volcanic terroir spread southeast from the famed Pritchard Hill area overlooking Oakville and Yountville to the westernmost regions of the Atlas Peak.

Article content

Article content

He was also part of the winemaking and viticulture team at Colgin Cellars, one of a handful of stops he made at prestigious California domains before settling in at Eisele Vineyard for over eight years in Napa Valley. Kelly returned to Canada and Checkmate last summer to take over for founding winemaker Phil McGahan, who returned to Australia for family reasons.

I met with Kelly to preview Checkmate’s 2020 Merlots and 2021 Chardonnays, and we had a wide-ranging talk about his early impressions of the winery, the vineyards, and the wine program moving forward. There have been no significant changes or the word he prefers, “tweaks” to the wines, and if they happen, they won’t show up before the 2023 vintage. Meanwhile, Kelly is absorbing all he can about his various terroir and vineyard sites on both sides of the valley.

In a broader sense, I asked him about the Checkmate style versus the rest of the world.

“If you are picking Merlot in August (in Napa), it’s probably not a good variety for the place,” but he is impressed with the Okanagan’s range of possibilities. The fresh style, higher acidity and longer ripening period are all attractive to Kelly. He is a big fan of the northern Italian superstar Merlot Masseto and its silky finesse and layered flavours. Let’s hope the Merlot tweaks will head in that direction.

Article content

There will be some adjustments to the Chardonnay, albeit slow and steady, to continue tightening the wine and revealing its site to move it closer to a Burgundian-Oregon style of Chardonnay with a clear understanding that in the end, it is an Okanagan Chardonnay. Most of the wines are single-site, but two blends will be positioned as village wines given the source of the grapes from more than one vineyard. This kind of tweaking only happens after years of production, study, maturity and experience. We could use a lot more of that to come if the Okanagan is to survive as a serious wine-producing region.

Checkmate will likely join most of the region with an estimated vine trauma in the high 90 per cent range, although some wineries report much less damage depending on their location. While they will only grow leaves this year, they will return to business in 2025. Otherwise, the winery is in good shape, and Kelly says they will manage the shortfall and not miss a beat with all their customers, from wine club members to restaurants and anyone visiting the estate looking to purchase some wine.

Article content

Article content

Complete notes on the wines tasted will appear on Gismondi on Wine closer to their release. End Game and Silent Bishop are released; Opening Gambit and Black Rook Merlots will be released in April, along with the 2021 Chardonnays, which look more interesting than ever.

Some early Checkmate favourites to note are all the 2020 Merlots led by the Silent Bishop and Opening Gambit; the 2021 Attack and Queen Taken are stellar Chardonnays. All of the wines are showing incremental improvements thanks to the ongoing organic farming that is reducing alcohol levels and boosting ripening times to make better wines. Stay tuned.

Weekend wine picks

Tightrope Winery Pinot Gris 2022, Okanagan Valley, B.C.

$24 I 90/100

UPC: 626990153849

Fleet Road Vineyard is the estate home site and the lead source of this delicious Gris, with some nearby additions of neighbouring areas. There is a bump of residual sugar in the mix, but plenty of balancing acidity is led by grapefruit, pear, and lemon zest. If you chill this down, it can easily carry pre-dinner, solo or with some spicy appetizers. Or consider a savoury roasted chicken as the supreme match for dinner. Available in 88 B.C. liquor stores.

Article content

Unsworth Vineyards Chardonnay 2021, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, B.C.

$34.90 I 92/100

UPC: 626990320357

The year 2021 is the third for the Unsworth Chardonnay, which is no doubt surprising to some given the attention this grape is getting. The fruit comes off Mildenstein Vineyard, a Cowichan slope covered in marine silts. The winemaking is elementary, with a whole cluster press, partially native fermented in neutral barriques, and aged eight months on its lees. This is the best yet, with almost luscious acidity, tempered by the lees, with a salty hazelnut inner core, fresh lemon and green apple palate, and mineral finish. An impressive bottle with new vineyards and a new production facility to follow shortly. Oysters are the match.

Umani Ronchi Medoro Sangiovese 2021, Marche, Italy

$14.99 I 87/100

UPC: 8032853720479

Umani Ronchi is a respected producer of Marche wines and was a big hit at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. We thought Medoro, made only with Sangiovese, was a good buy at $14.99; you can buy it until the end of the month for $11.99. Expect an earthy nose that is spotted with some florals. On the palate, it is a medium-weight mix of cherries and earth with bright acidity and a clean finish. Pleasant and food-friendly, it is a lovely match for a Margherita pizza, a simple ragu, or a piece of hard cheese — a solid everyday red.

Article content

Church & State Wines Syrah 2019, Okanagan Valley, B.C.

$40.25 I 90/100

UPC: 626990363125

It is always fun to come back and taste B.C. Syrah as it ages. Ten months later, the classic C&S Syrah that mixes Coyote Bowl and Détente Vineyard fruit is just beginning to spread its wings. The fruit comes off the first and third Black Sage benches — post stainless steel fermentation — that pend 12 months in French barriques before bottling. The nose is aromatic, pitching classic violets and black pepper before morphing into blackcurrant and blueberry, which has shed most of its tannin. The finish is warm and spicy with more peppery tones. Lamb, anyone?

Culmina Family Estate Malbec 2020, Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, B.C.

$42 I 89/100

UPC: 827413001048

The Malbec comes off two Golden Mile vineyards Arise and Stan’s Benches. After fermenting, it spends 16 months in all French oak, with 30 per cent new and 70 per cent used one- and two-year-old barrels. The attack is fragrant and savoury, with bright acidity and well-integrated tannins. This year, the palate is more red fruit mixed with licorice, tea and mineral notes. The winery has always worked hard with food and wine pairings. In 2020, they suggest black pepper, Malbec-braised pork shoulder, or aged cheeses such as Pecorino Romano or Manchego. The fruit set was low in 2020, leading to below-average yields, but the resulting grape quality was high. Drink or cellar through 2028.

Article content

Calendar items

About 1,000 wine professionals worldwide had their first experience of a red and white wine made under the guidance of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) bot called Chelaris.

The wines were presented by consultant and author Robert Joseph at ProWein last week and referred to as a “glimpse into the future of oenology — the fusion of human and artificial intelligence.” The two AI wines were also packaged using AI-generated labels. The project collaborated with the National Office of Vine and Wine, using sophisticated algorithms to support human decisions when planning — and executing every aspect of the production process: harvesting, vinification, blending, labelling, and communication. It sounds like a hands-off, machine-on approach to winemaking.

•••

Congratulations to Burrowing Owl Winery. The Wyse Family of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in Oliver won the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction, regarded as the highest form of peer recognition. “The Wyse family’s unwavering focus on premium quality wines, along with their pioneering commitment to the environment, has made an enduring mark on the B.C. wine industry,” says Wine Growers Canada’s President and CEO, Dan Paszkowski. “The dedication of three generations of their family to an innovative, energy-efficient winery, a culinary and wine tourism destination, and the conservation of the burrowing owl, their winery namesake, leaves a huge legacy on the wider wine industry in B.C. and across Canada.”

Article content

B.C. wine of the week

Cliff and Gorge Marechal Foch 2022, Lillooet, B.C.

$18 I 87/100

UPC: N/A

This is a very different style of Marechal Foch. It is cooler, lighter and brighter, with sweet, candied cherry and super soft textures. It is more like a simple fruity Gamay than the smoky, beefy, meaty Foch, which is a good thing. Fun and priced right, this is a wine to check out if you find yourself near the Lillooet winery. It was tasted from a half bottle under a screwcap.

Value wine of the week

Aveleda Casal Garcia Vinho Verde N/V, Vinho Verde, Portugal

$5.99 per 250 mL can I 87/100

UPC: 05601096012721

The No. 1 selling Vinho Verde ticks all the boxes for Gen Z and Millennials. It is in a hipster, can format. It is relatively cheap at $5.99. The alcohol is light. The palate is slightly fizzy, and the flavours mix watery lemon, quince, and green apple. Kick off spring with this and sushi, fish tacos, or a vegetarian pizza. Boomers can buy it by the bottle for $15.99. It is sold in more than 100 stores.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Article content