Last weekend was a blast as I met up with Clare Carver on Instagram Live and tasted through what is a stunning vertical of Oregon Pinot Noir. Prior to our interview, I had tasted through vintages 2014, 15, 16 and 18 of Big Table Farm’s ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir and was overwhelmed with each wine and how it was showing. It was very gratifying to go back in time and remember how the wine had changed compared to when I tried each bottling many years back. The vineyard itself is a 11.5 acre site located in the Eola- Amity Hills AVA that is planted to Dijon 667 and 777, Pommard and Wädenswil clones. I have long admired the complexity of this wine and the lovely earthy tones that Big Table Farm is able to create from this special site in the Willamette Valley.
As one of the first wine writers to feature Big Table Farm, the winery has gained national acclaim for their stories in the New York Times as well as Wine Spectator. Clare Carver and Brian Marcy spent many years in Napa before deciding to pick up their belongings and move to Oregon to start their working farm and winery. Brian made beautiful wines for Neyers winery, as I fondly recall the great Chardonnays and Syrahs that he made. Big Table Farm have even ventured their wine projects into the Walla Walla Rocks District AVA and have crafted a stunning new stony and savory Syrah from ‘The Funk Estate’. 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. I was floored with all of the wines, none more so than his 2014 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 96) which delivers incredible complexity and is really singing now, having at least another decade to go. The tightrope between tertiary and primary tones really makes this wine sing. The 2015 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 95) is a delight to savor right now, with a great core of acidity and slightly less tertiary tones than the glorious 2014. One thing is certain —these are Pinot Noirs that are made for serious Pacific Northwest wine collectors. Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the notes from my vertical tasting of the Big Table Farm ‘Pellos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir.
2014 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Don’t let the whimsical truck tire on the label fool you — the 2014 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a complex, masterful effort by superstar winemaker Brian Marcy. The nose is a journey across a deft tightrope of ternary damp earth and white truffle crudo notes that combine with shades of boysenberry preserves and salted charcuterie that all take shape in the glass. The palate has remarkable freshness despite its age, with wonderful peat moss and damp earth tones that combine with a core of kirsch, wild blackberry cobbler and citrus rind tones on this complex attack. The silky texture effortlessly makes this glide across the mid-palate, giving off a weightless effect. A light beam of salinity runs through the core of the wine, bringing added enjoyment. Simply put, this is complete wine that is absolutely singing right now and will prove drinking enjoyment for years to come. Drink 2020-2030- 96
2015 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The silky and seductive, yet beautifully restrained 2015 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is showing marvelously now at the five year mark. The nose is simply astounding and brings you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Red rose petals deftly combine with Mandarin orange zest, bulls blood, peat moss and shades of Hoisin sauce with wet stone accents on this decadent nose. The palate is fresh, vibrant and has gorgeous layers of pretty red fruits that sit with suggestions of cardamom, kumquat rind, wild mushroom and wild blackberry jam. Fresh and vibrant, with a downright pillowy texture, the 2015 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is drinking marvelously right now and has another decade to go. Drink 2020-2030- 95
2016 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- I absolutely adore the 2016 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir which is so fresh and vibrant as if it was released several days ago. A slight dusting of salinity runs through shades of huckleberry and Bing cherry tones that are woven together with underbrush and forest floor accents which all aromatically sing in unison. The palate is plush, showing off very bright red fruits and peat moss tones that combine with boysenberry and bulls blood, with Satsuma orange zest accents on the palate. The combination of verve and weight mid-palate is exceptional. A long-ager, the 2016 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir has a long way to go — but is simply irresistible right now. Drink 2020-2032- 95
2018 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The gorgeous 2018 ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is another thrilling effort by superstar winemaker Brian Marcy. On the nose this entices with shades of white truffle and Hoisin sauce, alongside a rich core of red and dark fruits, giving the wine a distinctly Umami edge. The palate is plush and generous, unveiling a seamless texture that makes this effortlessly glide once on the attack. Ripe red cherry and boysenberry flavors collide with minerals, blood orange zest, peat moss and shades of seaweed on this wonderfully expressive palate. The ‘Pelos-Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir deftly walks the tight rope between richness and balance, as this effort is best enjoyed over the next ten to fifteen years, picking up earthy tertiary tones as it ages. Drink 2020-2033- 95