2005 Checkmate-Bordeaux Blend
Wine & Spirits December 2008 92...Rated as one of the Year’s Best Cabernet-Based Blends
Summers Estate Wines owners Jim and Beth Summers are pleased to announce the release of their 2005 Checkmate ($100), a limited-production Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from some of the top mountain and valley vineyards in the northern Napa Valley, including Summers’ own Villa Andriana Vineyard in Calistoga. Checkmate has been a long-time dream of Proprietor Jim Summers, and with the meticulous attention to detail of Winemaker Ignacio Blancas, select lots of 2005 fruit were carefully set aside to be separately vinified in anticipation of a blockbuster blend for the inaugural Checkmate bottling this year.
The grapes used in Checkmate were harvested by hand with a yield of 2 to 2.5 tons per acre. After the clusters are sent through the crusher/de-stemmer, the berries are carefully hand-sorted. The wine selected to bear the Checkmate label comes from only the best three barrels out of hundreds of barrels in the Summers cellar. As the ultimate example of the best grapes, blend selection and finest winemaking that Summers has to offer, Jim and Beth chose Checkmate to lead their premium tier of estate and reserve wines. The name Checkmate is a play on Summers Estate Wines’ chess-themed logo of a knight, representing their history as grape growers in the Knights Valley.
The 2005 Summers Estate Wines Checkmate is a blend from four distinctive Bordeaux varietals, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), followed by Merlot (16%), Petit Verdot (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%). Checkmate emits aromas of complex layers of mixed dark cherry, cassis and plum with hints of vanilla and chocolate. On the palate, Checkmate delivers classic flavors of rich, ripe blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with hints of vanilla and spice flavors, countered by a structure of full, round tannins and a dark chocolate finish. The wine was aged for 24 months in 100% new French Oak. Only 75 cases were made and are available for purchase today.
Cost: $ 100.00 each, $ 600.00 per case of 6
Maximum order quantity: 2
Ratings
92 - Wine & Spirits Magazine - Dec. 2008 "Year's Best Cabernet Sauvignons...106 rated 90 or better." Just 13 Cabernet-based Blends were rated and our 2005 Checkmate ranked 4th overall!
90 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - Dec. 2008 "Another top-notch effort...This inky/purple-colored offering exhibits notes of tobacco leaf, chocolate, spice box, black currants, and toasty oak. It can be enjoyed over the next decade."
Checkmate-Bordeaux Blend Wine Information
This is the first vintage of this Napa Valley “grandmaster” Bordeaux style red wine blend. Checkmate has been a long-time dream of Proprietor Jim Summers, and with the meticulous attention to detail of Winemaker Ignacio Blancas, select lots of 2005 fruit were carefully set aside to be separately vinified in anticipation of a blockbuster blend for the first Checkmate bottling. The grapes used in Checkmate were harvested by hand with a yield of 2 to 2.5 tons per acre; the clusters and berries were then carefully handsorted before and after going into the destemmer/crusher. The wine selected to bear the Checkmate label comes from only the best three barrels out of hundreds in the Summers cellar. As the ultimate example of the best grapes, blend selection and finest winemaking that Summers has to offer, Jim and Beth chose Checkmate to lead their premium tier of estate and reserve wines. The name is a play on Summers Estate Wines’ chess themed logo representing their history as grape growers in Knights Valley.
Each bottle comes in its own custom crafted wood, branded Summers Checkmat Logo box. The boxes come in either one bottle, two bottle, or 6 bottle configurations, and are included in the price of $100 per bottle.
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