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Big Table Farm, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Oregon, United States 2016 (750mL)
$45.00
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Alcohol

Big Table Farm, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

The amount of praise Big Table Farm has received during their 12 years on the scene outnumbers many wineries that have been around for generations—and they’re on the fast track to being recognized as one of Oregon’s elite producers. Winemaker Brian Marcy leads the charge at this up-and-coming Willamette Valley estate and handcrafts a star-studded cast of down-to-earth, ultra-pure Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. 
Today’s “entry-level” bottling (a terminological disservice to this marvelous wine) blends his top eight Pinot Noir sites throughout the region and his philosophy for this bottle is a much needed breath of fresh air: “It would be arrogant of me to think I could predict which fruit will turn into the best wine,” he says, “so I treat all with equal diligence.” What you’re getting in this Burgundy-meets-Willamette Pinot is pure, Pacific-kissed fruit from Brian’s best sites, all of which are treated with the same level of high-quality care from bud break to harvest. His wines are elegantly rich, poised, and a resounding “yes” to the question: “Can Oregon compete with Burgundy’s finest?” These Pinots have been stunning since day one and whatever pushes you to experience Big Table—be it the adulation of top critics or SommSelect’s endorsement—rest assured, you’ll be delighted once it’s on your table. 
With previous positions at high-profile Napa wineries like Marcassin and Blankiet Estate (both of which will set you back a healthy sum), Brian Marcy is no stranger to Napa’s piercing spotlight. But, when he and his wife Clare wanted to expand their “farm”—which in 2005 consisted of chickens running amok in the backyard of their small home—they jointly agreed to move away from Napa’s exorbitantly priced real estate and try their luck in Oregon. They found solace an hour’s drive from Portland, in the small town of Gaston, ideally wedged between the sub-AVAs of Chehalem Mountain and Yamhill-Carlton District. They realized their dream in short order and now their 70 acres and 1890s-era farmhouse is replete with livestock, crops, bee hives, grapevines...they’re running a full-fledged, self-sustaining farm. 

But we’re not here to buy meat or honey today, so let’s get to the wine: As mentioned, they craft several different vineyard-designate wines, but their ‘Willamette Valley’ bottling pulls from each one of their eight, volcanic and sedimentary-rich Pinot Noir sites, all of which are located in the central and northern sections of the valley. After hand harvesting, the fruit sees a long, ‘whole-cluster’ fermentation via indigenous yeasts and aging occurs in mostly neutral French oak  (20% new) for just under one year. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and each rotating, hand-applied label is designed by Clare, a certified jack (queen?) of all trades.

Rule number one for Big Table Farm’s breathtaking Pinot: pull the cork, let it gently pour into a decanter, and allow it to rest for a minimum of one hour before exploring its seductive aromatics. If you love the intoxicating perfume of ripe and elegant Pinot, this is right up your alley, with scents of ripe red and black cherries, juicy wild strawberries, red plum skin, and black raspberry with accent of pomegranate, orange zest, tea leaves, damp earth, crushed stones and a dizzying array of soft baking spices. The palate is medium-plus in body and provides a full-flavored, mouth-coating feel, with soft yet structured tannins and a massive lift of acidity on the finish, bringing everything in balance. This wine is a child genius now, but has the savor and structure to evolve in a positive direction for 5-10 years if kept well. This is a stylish and rich wine that never once loses sight of its graceful side; it has so much to offer as it unfolds in your Burgundian glass around 60 degrees. If you want to go above and beyond (this bottle certainly deserves the added effort) follow the attached sage pork chops and cherry balsamic glaze recipe that is sure to put your entire table in a gastronomic stupor. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
Oregon
Sub-Region
United StatesWillamette Valley
Soil
Volcanic & Sedimentary
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.9
OAK
~20% New French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
One Hour

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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