For years I have been gushing about one of the famed producers in Oregon, Big Table Farm. They’ve certainly have amassed a massive amount of accolades over the past decade and continue to impress vintage after vintage. Founded by two of the great people in Oregon Wine, Big Table Farm is the brainchild of Clare Carver and Brian Marcy. For those of you who have not tried the wines, I urge you that this is a not to be missed lineup of wines — from bright, mineral driven Rose to rich and layered Chardonnay to earthy and downright seductive Pinot Noir. Superstar winemaker Brian Marcy turns literally anything he gets in his hands on into a beautiful wine. He has a longstanding history in the wine industry, living in Napa and previously serving as winemaker for Neyers prior to moving north and settling in the Willamette Valley. His wines are rich, terroir driven and show dazzling minerality. It is very hard to find this degree of tension and viscosity in a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. Years ago I admired the wines he was crafting at Neyers and I even recently had the chance to try one of his older wines, a Chardonnay that was more than a decade old but was still holding well!
I adored the new releases were stunning across the board. I absolutely loved the new 2019 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is silky and elegant with a seamless texture. This wine screams value. I was blown away with the 2019 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which shows a downright luscious mouthfeel and has seriously good range, giving this wine an exotic edge. 2019 certainly wasn’t the easiest of vintages to make Oregon Pinot Noir but this is a prime example of what a brilliant winemaker can do in even challenging vintages. Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm.
2018 Big Table Farm ‘The Wild Bee’ Chardonnay- Sourced from a host of Willamette Valley vineyards, this shows straw with wild mushroom and vanilla cream tones alongside bright pear and starfruit on the nose. The palate is beautifully textured with a great sense of minerality. Baking spiced Challah bread and banana tones mingle with honeydew melon on the palate with wet stone accents. Seriously good now, this will continue to evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2021-2029- 93
2019 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Enchanting and downright delicious, the 2019 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir shows off a downright sexy core of red fruits that march on with red rose petals and leather undertones on this outstanding bouquet. The palate is fresh and wonderfully textured. Layers of red currants and red cherry candy mingle with minerals, damp earth and shades of exotic spices on the palate. Gorgeous now, this has at least a decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2031-93
2019 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos Sandberg Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the ‘Pelos Sandberg Vineyard’ is farmed by Don Sandberg. Juicy guava and orange rind tones mingle with shades of cardamom and fresh red florals on this beautiful bouquet. The palate shows a great sense of weight and length with a serious veil of tension. Ripe red cherry and cran-pomegranate tones collide with minerals, smoke and earthy undertones. Gratifying an refined, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2035- 94
2018 Big Table Farm ‘Funk Estate Vineyard’ Syrah- Sourced from this esteemed site in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA, the ‘Funk Estate Vineyard’ is owned by Richard and Anita Funk. Right away the stony tones entice aromatically, alongside boysenberry preserves, Umami and green peppercorns that all take shape in the glass. The palate is fresh and beautifully textured. Black raspberry and Kalmata olives mingle with minerals, blood orange zest, smoke and menthol tones on the palate. Outstanding to savor now, this has another eight to ten years in front of it. Drink 2021-2029- 94