Oak Bay Vineyard 2012 Gewurztraminer - 85pts

Oak Bay Vineyard 2012 Gewurztraminer (East Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.75
Alcohol: 13.7%
Date Tasted: July 2nd, 2013

Tasting Notes: Opens with a pleasant, summery nose of apricot, peach and Asian pear aromas with underlying spice box notes. An uneven palate follows with the texture and spiciness you'd expect from Gewurztraminer and typical flavours of lychee and passion fruit but these elements get challenged by bitter notes which seem to linger through to the finish. Pairing with spicy Asian food will mask the bitterness and end-up making for a lovely meal. Drink 2013-2014.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Oak Bay Vineyard 2011 Gamay Noir - 85pts

Oak Bay Vineyard 2011 Gamay Noir (Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $15.75
Alcohol: 11.5%
Date Tasted: October 2nd, 2012

Tasting Notes: Bright, spicy and tangy, this Gamay Noir, with its light tannins, high acid and rustic red fruit profile, makes a food-friendly addition to your dinner table when paired with roasted meats of the lean variety; turkey, chicken and pork tenderloin. On its own you may find the acid overwhelms the fruit and body on the palate, diminishing the length of the finish. Pleasant aromas of sweet black cherry, raspberry skins, licorice, dried cranberry and peppermint will delight no matter how it's served. Enjoy this well priced Gamay in its youth. Drink 2012-2015.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Oak Bay Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir - 87pts

Oak Bay Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir (Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $19.50
Alcohol: 12.1%
Date Tasted: September 30th, 2012

Tasting Notes: This tasty Pinot Noir from Kelowna producer Oak Bay Vineyard finds the sweet spot between food-friendly and stand-alone sipper for the budget-conscious Pinot fan. Filled with sweet cherry, stewed raspberry, plum, sea mineral, cedar chip and vanilla bean aromas and flavours with light menthol cigarette notes. Its terroir-driven and red fruit characters rumble around the intense, mouth-watering palate with an authentic rawness; playing ever-so-slightly out-of-sync. An offset melody, but one that works and makes for some great rustic food pairings like BBQ salmon steaks or muscles. Drink 2012-2015.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Oak Bay Vineyard 2011 Gewurztraminer - 87pts

Oak Bay Vineyard 2011 Gewurztraminer (Kelowna) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Direct from winery here
Cost: $16.75
Alcohol: 11.8%
Date Tasted: September 25th, 2012

Tasting Notes: The long, cool growing season of 2011 was successful for the naturally low-acid Gewurztraminer grapes allowing them to ripen and develop a nice bite to help balance the off-dry style that Oak Bay Vineyard employs.

The nose is muted, but when given time to warm-up a little, will reveal nice apricot and Asian pear aromas. However, this wine is all about a tasty, crowd-pleasing palate which delivers the fullness we expect from Gewurztraminer, without being overly chewy (thanks, again, to the acidity) and the flavour profile we rely on, spicy and tangy, to pair with our favourite Asian food.

The back label suggests a "classic" Alsatian style, but really this is a true BC "Goo" through and through and that's something to be proud of. Drink 2012-2013.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca