One of the great wineries in Oregon, Big Table Farm is led by the team of Clare Carver and Brian Marcy. Big Table Farm crafts some of the best wines in the Willamette Valley. I first started writing about this winery roughly five years ago and they have been gaining more and more national attention — and rightly so. They have now ventured their wine projects into the Walla Walla Rocks District AVA and have crafted a stunning new stony and savory Syrah. Clare is a hugely talented artist, as her beautiful artwork appears on each bottle. She makes each bottle into a work of art, importing special paper from Italy and then hand-labelling each piece.
Brian Marcy has been steadily making a name for himself as one of the top winemakers in Oregon. Having previously worked at famed California wineries, Marcassan and Neyers, Brian is a soft-spoken, wonderful mind in wine. Be on the lookout for their new entry level Pinot Noir, the 2017 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which sources from a host of great vineyards and is a stunning new bottling that will cellar well for a decade or more. Their new Syrah, the 2016 Big Table Farm ‘The Funk Estate’ Syrah (WWB, 95) has a light, stony character and has insane range both aromatically and on the palate. This is a wine that is not to be missed for all serious Pacific Northwest wine collectors. Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm.
2017 Big Table Farm ‘The Wild Bee’ Chardonnay- This Willamette Valley Chardonnay was sourced from six different sites across the valley. Better aromatically once warmed up a bit, this opens with sourdough bread, vanilla cream, and hints of ripe pineapple. The palate reveals a silky texture with a wonderful combination of ripeness and minerality. Bright nectarine, lemon zest, and pineapple upside down cake flavors all collide once in the mouth. Beautiful now, this great release by superstar winemaker Brian Marcy will continue to develop well over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 93
2017 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Stunning and better than most winery’s top bottlings, the 2017 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir is another sensational wine made by one of the most underrated winemakers in North America, Brian Marcy. The nose is seductive and highly perfumed with rose petals, guava puree, cigar ash and suggestions of peat moss that all build in the glass. The wine shows off a downright sexy texture, showing a great combination of weight and minerality. Guava puree, red raspberry cordial, blood orange zest and white truffle flavors all dance on the palate. A seriously good wine, this will continue to cellar well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2033- 94
2017 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Pelos Sandberg Vineyard is carefully managed by Don Sandberg, as I have been captivated with this bottling since Brian Marcy first made this wine. The nose is beautifully perfumed, showing serious aromatic range from peat moss and smoke undertones to ripe strawberry to guava and pomegranate puree with citrus rind accents. These delightful scents bring you back to the glass for more. Showing a silky texture, this beautiful wine glides across the mid-palate. Elegant, yet jam-packed full of red fruit, citrus zest and earthy flavors, this Pinot Noir by Big Table Farm simply has it all. Irresistible now, this will cellar well for the next two decades. Drink 2019-2033- 95
2016 Big Table Farm ‘The Funk Vineyard’ Syrah- Years ago I spoke with Clare Carver and Brian Marcy about their interest in crafting a wine from the Walla Walla Rocks District. They have sourced their fruit for this wine from one of the great vineyards in this region, owned by Richard Funk of Saviah Cellars. This wine needs a one hour decant to really open aromatically. Once aroused, this awakens to black olive tapenade, bacon fat, umami, and blackberry pie. The palate shows a really good freshness and weight. There is a seamless quality to this elegant Walla Walla Rocks AVA wine. Asian spices, green olive, orange zest, cran-cherry and a dusting of cocoa powder complete this completely sensational new wine. Delicious now, enjoy this great bottling over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 95