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Country: | United States |
Region: | Oregon (Willamette) |
Winery: | Big Table Farm Winery |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2014 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Barrel fermented in mixed age French oak producing a medium clear lemon color. This wine has a luminescent, straw color with a subtle sheen. Meyer lemon, white nectarine, baking spice, and salt water taffy on the nose. The palette offers up warm oak spice, sandalwood, and stone fruit.
With a lemon-butter-cream texture, this wine is lush yet still very bright and fresh. Lively acidity, with a custard type of roundness/richness, and the warm oak spice follows through on the pallet. Delicious balance between richness and freshness.
As with all our whites, this wine will reward you for cellaring.
Reviews:
Bright straw. Fresh citrus and orchard fruits, smoky minerals and ginger on the incisive nose. Silky and focused on the palate, offering nervy Meyer lemon and green apple flavors that give way to deeper melon and peach with air. Finishes silky and long, displaying an echo of bitter citrus pith and lingering spiciness. - Vinous 90 Points
Bright, taut and focused, with spicy pear and Meyer lemon flavors that dance into a long and lively finish. Drink now through 2020. 680 cases made. - Wine Spectator 90 Points
In 2006 we moved to Oregon from Napa, where Brian had been making wine for ten years. We bought property in the Willamette Valley (about an hour outside of Portland).
This Oregon adventure is inspired by our desire to grow grapes, make wine, and to have the space for all of Clare’s animals and Brian’s wacky projects.
We named our farm and winery after our goal to provide a gracious and welcoming table for ourselves and friends, with a cornucopia of hand-crafted food and wine.
And now, almost ten years after we took the leap, we have developed this land into a working farm and built a barn and winery. We feel lucky to live here and we are still in awe and deeply grateful for the chance to build this dream and share it with you!
In 1996 Brian worked his first harvest. Having studied fermentation science at Davis, he took to the process of winemaking easily and loved it.
While working in Napa Valley, Brian learned from some of California's most esteemed winemakers and wineries - Turley Wine cellars, Neyers Vineyards, Blankiet Estate and Marcassin, just to name a few. Brian also spent a harvest working in Australia at Trevor Jones Fine Wines.
These varied experiences have contributed to Brian’s ability to optimize each vintage.
Russian River Chardonnay Bacigalupi is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
An unmatched heritage. This wine is made from the budwood of the vines that produced the California Chardonnay that rocked the industry by winning the infamous “Judgment of Paris” wine tasting in 1976. And the quality has persisted.
Starting out with aromas of white peach, honeysuckle, crème brulee and jasmine. The palate is fruit driven from beginning to end. Apple pie, melon and stone fruit flavors linger on the tongue. The mid-palate is full and rich, with a touch of minerality. This wine finishes for days with plenty of fruit on the palate, balanced by a delightful pop of acidity.
One of the few Chardonnays built to age, age this beauty over the next 5-10 years - or even longer!
Review:
"A beautiful, intense chardonnay with lots of ripe red apples and some mineral and lemon-rind character, as well as just the right amount of vanilla and cream. Full-bodied, dense and layered with lovely intensity and focus at the end. Drink now or hold."
- James Suckling (November 2020), 94 pts
Morlet Coup de Coeur Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Winemaker notes:
From the same hillside vineyards as ‘Ma Princesse’ and ‘Ma Douce,’ this unique cuvée was judiciously blended from a strictly limited number of selected barrels displaying truly outstanding features. It is our ‘Heart’s Astonishment’ or ‘Coup de Cœur.’
Straw yellow color. Complex bouquet of candied lemon, citrus oils, Reinette apple and strong notes of hazelnut and white truffle. Mineral driven on the palate, the mouth feel is rich yet delicate. Seamless and classic, it is wonderfully subtle and long on the finish. With a very high ageing potential, this wine can be cellared for over a decade.
Review:
The 2014 Chardonnay Coup De Coeur is always a selection of the best barrels of Chardonnay in the cellar. The 2014 has a breathtaking nose of honeyed tropical fruits, apple blossom, citrus oil, a hint of marmalade and subtle toast. It is full-bodied and rich with great acidity and considerable structure built-in with vibrant acidity and natural energy. This is a beauty, but I suggest patience of a year or so before enjoying it over the following decade or more.
-Wine Advocate 95+ Points
Argot Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
"Le Rayon Vert", the phenomenon which occurs as the sun dips below the horizon, and a brilliant green flash occurs when sunlight prisms through Earth's atmosphere. Jules Verne wrote "a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette”, akin to the ethereal, green halo all truly pedigreed Chardonnays radiate from the glass.
Wafting from the glass like a freshly opened stick of Wrigley's gum. Both intense and vibrant, the full-bodied palate delivers Granny Smith apple and stone fruits; confections of custard and sticky vanilla bean; animated by bursts of spearmint and pine forest.
Review:
"Showcases well-knit apple, Asian pear and white currant flavors, with accents of dried mint and tarragon. Toasty in the midpalate, with a finish that lingers on and is marked by crushed stone. Drink now through 2025. 325 cases made. - Kim MARCUS"
- Wine Advocate (April 30th 2022), 93 pts
"There are a scant 320 cases of the 2019 Chardonnay Le Rayon-Vert, which hails from the Sonoma Mountain AVA and spent 14 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a lighter, grey-tinged gold hue as well as an old school nose of crushed citrus, tart peach, hazelnuts, crushed stone, and white flowers. Beautiful on the palate as well, it has a crisp, pure texture, some notable reduction, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It's a beautiful Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 3-5 years. Give it a decant if drinking any time soon."
- Jeb DUNNUCK (September 30th 2021), 93 pts
Showcases well-knit apple, Asian pear and white currant flavors, with accents of dried mint and tarragon. Toasty in the midpalate, with a finish that lingers on and is marked by crushed stone. Drink now through 2025. 325 cases made.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Bydand Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is made from 100% Chardonnay
Aged for 16 months in 30% new French oak, 70% neutral French oak
Farmed by one of California’s most respected and longest operating grape-growing families, the Roberts Road Vineyard is located in the Petaluma Gap. Sitting on well draining gravel soils, coastal winds allow for a long, slow and even growing season. Planted in 1998 these Dijon 95 grapes provide minerality and vibrancy to a full-bodied wine with impressive purity of flavor and mouth-feel. French oak barrels add subtle toast to aromas of pear, stone fruits and white citrus.
Review:
"Dark gold in color, this wine is densely layered in ripe peach and rich butterscotch. The oak is hearty yet well-integrated, adding to the overall structure and power of the wine. - Virginie Boone "
- Wine Enthusiast (July 2020), 90 pts
DAOU Vineyards Paso Robles Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The 2021 Discovery Chardonnay leads with a stunning nose of juicy pineapple, freshly sliced pears, lemon chiffon, and warm toast. Spicy notes of nutmeg and ginger are highlighted with star jasmine and honeysuckle fragrances accompanied by hints of smoky oak and hazelnut. Elegant and silky on the palate, this Chardonnay offers delectable peach, melon, and green apple flavors accentuated by tropical notes of mango, guava, pineapple, and kiwi. A clean, exceptionally balanced finish is rounded out with essences of sweet Crenshaw melon, nectarine and papaya.
Review:
There's a guava character to the nose of this bottling, yet it's cut by a river stone edge. A bright sizzle of acidity and a chalky flesh envelop the palate, with plumeria and more guava flavors at play.
-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
Textured, classic Russian River Chardonnay with pleasing counterbalance between ripeness and acidity,distinguishable by underlying minerality, quality oak.
The nose is a blend of pear fruit and caramel. On the palate, these notes continue and are balanced with a hint of Rangbur lime in the finish. The crisp acidity is a perfect balance to the richness of the wine. This is to my mind exactly what RRV CH can be when top sites are well farmed and winemaking is focused.
Eric Flanagan and his family live on the vineyard property the Chardonnay comes from.
Silverado Vineyards Solo Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
This bold Cabernet starts off with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose. Intense fruit, toasty oak, and spice lead to a velvety, long finish with mild tannins.
In 1968, Silverado’s estate vineyard became the fourth planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in the Stags Leap District, now world renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon.
Over the next two decades, through meticulous field selection, an entirely new clone of Cabernet Sauvignon emerged here. The vines had adapted to Silverado Vineyard’s steep, shale soils to produce fruit with the character and structure for which the Stags Leap District came to be known.
The University of California, Davis acknowledged this unique vine with a ‘Heritage’ designation. It is one of only three Cabernet Sauvignon clones to attain this status––and the only one from Stags Leap District.
Each year, we honor this extraordinary clone distinction with SOLO.
Review:
Dramatic bouquet of plum, cassis, dark chocolate and woodsmoke introduces a juicy, vibrant palate framed by elegant tannins and bright acidity. With good concentration and depth, this is a very refined Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.
-Decanter 93 Points
Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)
Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.
The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.
We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).
As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.
In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.
When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.
Review:
"Pale orange colour. Confit orange, orange blossom, lychee, a touch of brown sugar. On the palate it is exceptionally full-bodied, with acidity a little on the low side. There's firm bitterness on the finish, and it lacks the freshness of some years, if not the depth. Long finish. It really coats the mouth with sweetness and flavour. Handpicked, all pressed immediately and fermented in stainless steel without any skin contact. Wine is aged in stainless steel for six months after adding the fortifying spirit."
- Decanter (October 2019), 91 pts