Tis the season to open those special bottles of wine, even if you are only allowed to share them with those in your own household. What special bottles are you planning on opening during the holiday season?
We recently opened a bottle of the 2013 Black Rook Merlot from CheckMate Artisanal Winery, and it was definitely pretty special. We paired it with a recipe for baked calamarata pasta, cocoa braised short rib and creamed leeks, created by Chef Matt Batey at Teatro Ristorante in Calgary, Alberta.
I have to admit that while cooking the different components for this dish, I was not quite sure how it was all going to work together, but the end result was a symphony in the mouth! The recipe is accurate in stating that the chocolate will add depth to the flavour of the dish and the chocolate also worked well with the silky tannin structure of the wine. I definitely recommend adding blue cheese and roasted tomatoes as accompaniments. The acidity in the tomatoes and the sharp, salty taste of the blue cheese really elevated the fruit flavours in the wine. The recipe for baked calamarata pasta, cocoa braised short rib and creamed leeks can be found here.
2013 Black Rook Merlot $85.00
The 2013 Black Rook is 86% Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot. It was fermented using 100% wild yeast and spent 21 months in new French oak.
After nine hours in the decanter it has aromas of dried blackcurrants, ripe blackberries, black cherries, aniseed, clove and nutmeg. It is a dry, full bodied wine, with medium+ acidity and medium, well integrated tannins. The palate offers blackcurrant, blackberries, juicy black cherries, bramble, liquorice and a savoury brininess with a lingering finish.
CheckMate continues to offer complimentary shipping on all orders, so now is the perfect time to pick-up some special bottles for the festive season and beyond.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery
4799 Wild Rose Street,
Oliver, BC
V0H 1T1