Little Straw Vineyards 2008 La Petite Paille Cuvée Noir - 87pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2008 La Petite Paille Cuvée Noir (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $19.90
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 296 cases
Date Tasted: August 2nd, 2013
@LittleStrawSue

Tasting Notes: This proprietary blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Blau Frankish opens on the nose with a nice blend of wild, alpine berry fruit and toasted oak aromas with light cinnamon and vanilla notes. The seriously tart and vibrant palate follows with mouth watering acidity likely to jolt your senses at first. Beyond the tartness are some pleasant, food-friendly characteristics: mild, integrated tannins, terroir flavours and nice lingering wild berry fruit on the finish.

Beyond the mellowed tannins, this blend is still tasting rather young and should last another 2-3 years, though, be weary of fruit denigration if you wait too long. Drink now-2014.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 La Petite Paille Sauvignon Blanc - 88pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 La Petite Paille Sauvignon Blanc (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.90
Alcohol: 11.2%
Production: 150 cases
Date Tasted: July 4th, 2013
@LittleStrawSue

Tasting Notes: One winery, two labels and two distinct styles. West Kelowna's Little Straw Vineyards has, for lack of a better term, a mirror label called La Petite Paille which produces wines in a more "serious" style when compared to the namesake line-up. The best example of this comes in the form of Sauvignon Blanc which is produced by both labels. The Petite Paille version is tang'o'rific and herbaceouswith austere stainless steel minerality and focused citrus fruit - a stark contrast to the Little Straw Sauv Blanc which finishes off-dry and offers more boisterous fruit notes.

This wine would make a great companion for your next seafood fest and would compliment oysters, lobster, white fish and mussels. Drink now-2014.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc - 87pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.90
Alcohol: 10.2%
Production: 444 cases
Date Tasted: June 25th, 2013

Tasting Notes: Happily, the 2012 Little Straw Sauvignon Blanc drinks like a well-produced companion piece to the West Kelowna winery's lovely blend Tapestry. Not quite as well-balanced or complex, but equally approachable and, perhaps, even more refreshing.

Where I felt the 2011 failed, the 2012 succeeds with an expressive nose bursting with green apple, apricot and mineral aromas followed by a fully off-dry palate, this time with some wanted texture and body to help reign-in the intense citrus acidity through to the moderate finish.

Absolutely a Sauv Blanc to pair with a hot tub open to the night's stars. Enjoy this fun and tangy wine in its youth. Drink now-2014.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2012 Tapestry - 88pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2012 Tapestry (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $17.90
Alcohol: 11%
Production: 1496 cases
Date Tasted: June 1st, 2013

Tasting Notes: Though a blend of Riesling, Auxerrois, Gewurztraminer, Siegerrebe and Schonburger, it's the Gewurztraminer that plays the lead character in 2012 with lush tropical fruit on the floral nose and the off-dry palate which starts with a chewy (gooey) texture and then finishes crisp and tangy thanks to its pronounced grapefruit acidity. With all components a little more intense this time round, the more subtle layers of minerals and spice are pushed to the background a bit and are less 'involved' as it were. Still, a joyous Summer sipper if ever there was one. Drink now-2015.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc - 84pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.90
Alcohol: 11.5%
Production: 321 cases
Date Tasted: September 27th, 2012

Tasting Notes: Opens with a muted nose of green apple, light grass, river stones and rain water. To balance the intense acidity on the off-dry palate that follows, the wine was vinified to only 11.5% leaving considerable residual sugar, but falls a bit short in its goal leaving a lean texture and a short finish. Drink now-2013.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 Tapestry - 89pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2011 Tapestry (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.90
Alcohol: 11%
Production: 1000 cases
Date Tasted: September 27th, 2012

Tasting Notes: The aptly named Tapestry, weaves together the varietal characters of Riesling, Auxerrois, Gewurztraminer, Siegerrebe and Schonburger. Light potpuri, rose, lychee, citrus and Asian pear aromas make for a pleasing, joyous nose and the perfect prelude to the off-dry, vibrant and tangy palate to follow. Apple, pear, pineapple, papaya and grapefruit flavours are supported by a nice balance between the full-ish texture produced from 17 g/l of residual sugar and the proportionate citrus acid that leaves a tangy finish with hints of mineral and spice notes. Easy drinking, to be sure, but with more going on than your average crowd-pleasing, off-dry white blend. Drink now-2014.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Little Straw Vineyards 2008 La Petite Paille Pinot Noir - 86pts

Little Straw Vineyards 2008 La Petite Paille Pinot Noir (West Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $21.90
Alcohol: 13%
Production: 172 cases
Date Tasted: September 27th, 2012

Tasting Notes: This Pinot Noir begins with a truly memorable nose of ripe, freshly picked, Okanagan cherries with nice undertones of rich oak and light forest aromas. An impressive start that is let-down by the disjointed, sharply edged palate whose promising forest floor and red fruit flavours are overpowered by the acid and not supported by the light-to-medium tannins and watery texture. The body fades quickly leaving lingering cranberry tartness on the finish. Drink now-2013.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

On a side note: La Petite Paille refers to the West Kelowna winery's reserve tier of wines which uses the French translation of Little Straw and a simpler, classic lable.