Today we share one of the great producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir out of the Willamette Valley. Big Table Farm has been one of the consistently great producers in Oregon over more than a decade. Founded by Clare Carver and Brian Marcy — the winery has a working farm with pigs, chickens and a recently planted vineyard. The winery is located in a remote, beautiful location in the northern end of the valley. Marcy has a longstanding history in the wine industry, formerly serving as winemaker for Neyers prior to moving north and settling in the Willamette Valley.These are wines that age brilliantly and are known for great texture and beautiful pure red and dark fruits, with loads of nuance. I can’t wait to try the wines from their new estate plantings someday.
The new wines come mainly from the 2021 vintage which was a warm vintage. Wines that I have tasted so far from 2021 have been really outstanding, showing plenty depth and concentration. I adored the new 2021 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which shows amazing flavor range and a seamless texture. Big Table Farm make one of the great Rose wines in the Pacific Northwest and the 2022 Rose (OB, 94) is a total knockout in terms of weight, flavor range and mouthfeel. I would definitely buy this one by the case. Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm.
2022 Big Table Farm Rose- Year after year Big Table Farm produce some of the finest Rose made in the Pacific Northwest. Made entirely from Willamette Valley Pinot Noir grapes, the vibrant color might suggest Syrah, as this beauty was stored in neutral French oak barrels before bottling. The wine is round and seamless, with a silky texture and glorious sense of length. Finishing long with bright guava and strawberry fruits, with starfruit and kumquat accents, this mineral-laden effort is really hitting its stride right now. I’ll be eager to see how this beauty ages. Drink 2023-2030- 94
2022 Big Table Farm Pinot Gris- Big Table Farm has now been making one of Oregon’s most intriguing Pinot Gris bottlings for more than a decade. This is an orange Pinot Gris wine that comes from the Belle Pente Vineyard and saw extensive skin contact as the deep color suggests. The wine drinks somewhat like a great white Pinot Noir, with plenty of nutty and earthy tones alongside melon, red raspberry and shades of salty soils on the palate. Complex and very delicious, enjoy this beauty now and over the next five plus years. Drink 2023-2028- 94
2021 Big Table Farm ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Chardonnay is a limited production bottling with less than 100 cases produced. Seeing limited new French oak before bottling, this comes off very fresh and vibrant on the palate, with a seamless texture. The combination of concentration and finesse really moves this wine as honeydew melon, baking spice laced pie crust, and notes of Meyer lemon zest all meld together on the palate. This is just a joy to savor right now in its heady youth. Enjoy now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2023-2033- 94
2021 Big Table Farm ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Chardonnay- Just like the ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Chardonnay bottling, the 2021 ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Chardonnay was extremely limited in production (92 cases). This bottling also saw a limited amount of new French oak prior to bottling, as this opens with beautiful white rose petal aromatics alongside shades of shortbread, and kumquat zest. The palate is beautifully textured, with serious weight and great underlying finesse. A total warm vintage knockout, enjoy this stunning wine now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2023-2033- 95
2021 Big Table Farm ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 Big Table Farm ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir is a bold, warm vintage effort that is built to cellar. The wine is very soft and seamless on the mouth, delivering a smooth drinking experience. Bing cherry and shades of pomegranate seed combine with citrus rind, baking spices and freshly tilled salty soils on the palate. This is seriously good stuff that will no doubt drink well for another fifteen years. Drink 2023-2038- 94
2021 Big Table Farm ‘Cattrall Brothers’ Pinot Noir- This beautiful bottling has now been made for over ten years. The 2021 ‘Cattrall Brothers’ Pinot Noir comes from this small site that was planted all the way back in the 1970s. This is a fresh and vibrant edition of this wine that shows beautiful tart red fruits and red rose water notes alongside blood orange zest and copious minerals, with salty soil accents on the palate. What this doesn’t have in terms of density it brings flavor complexity in troves. Drink 2023-2038- 95
2021 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The beautiful 2021 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this site farmed by Luci Wisniewski and Tom Owen since the early 1980s. This edition is very bright and beautiful with a gorgeous core of red fruit flavors alongside a seamless texture and generous appeal. Finishing long with red fruits and minerals, with kumquat and stony accents, this beauty has another fifteen years to go. Drink 2023-2038- 95