Big Table Farm and the Art of Balance

The wines are brilliant, but there is much more to admire

I’ve long admired the wines of Brian Marcy and Clare Carver. On several visits to the 70-acre Big Table Farm and vineyard, located in a remote corner of the Tualatin Hills AVA, I’ve been amazed at the scope and intensity of the work they do.

Apart from the relentless grind of vineyard work, winemaking and wine marketing, they wrangle free-range hens, pasture-raised pigs, several goats, a team of draft horses, bee hives and grass-fed cows. While Brian and his team handle the winemaking, Clare tends vegetable gardens and the farm animals, harvests honey, works her team of draft horses, stirs compost and forages wild mushrooms.

Inspired by their friends at Antiquum Farm, they are establishing an intensive grazing system of farming that builds the soil, sequesters carbon, and moves them ever farther towards a healthy, sustainable and diverse farm.

But wait, there’s more. They’ve recently opened a tasting room in downtown Carlton that also serves as Clare’s atelier, where she works on massive canvases and designs the hand-drawn labels for all the Big Table Farm wines.

I asked them to comment on how they build a viable work/life balance around such demanding activities. Can you share a bit about your motivation, your inspiration, your strategies, and what you have learned over the years? I wrote.

Clare’s response:  “So here it is 10pm and I sit down to answer your question about how we 'do it all'. Based on the hour that I sit here that's one answer – I’m not sure 10pm emails are all that 'balanced', but this time of year I don't think the notion the kids talk about these days of 'work/life balance' is a thing.

“Honestly I think there are times when there isn't balance - but that's ok. There are seasons of work and rest in our year. The seasonality of the work is part of the draw! And there is drive that comes from making things. 

“Brian and I both make art that we hope to perfect as we make them over and over. There is a seasonality to everything we do and right now we are in the season of making wine. For me at this time of year there is a lot of care and feeding of animals and people as Brian works in a very focused way with our cellar team to make the wine. 

“As to the motivation I would say we are driven to constantly improve upon our last effort. It's just that simple. Constantly learning from the cues of nature - weather it's the farm, the vines, or for me the light on a particular evening. 

“As for strategies - Brian and I walk every morning. This time of year we may have to miss a few walks or make them a bit shorter but we have this time to connect, and we also often use some of this time as a daily business meeting. We discuss the farm, the wine sales, cover crop, our staff – whatever the issue of the day is we talk it through during that time. That time is very important to keeping us a team and is also good for our general well-being. We also have a good division of efforts. For example, I manage the farm and animals and Brian manages the finances.”

Brian, a man of few words, adds that “Clare and I have common values so making decisions on where we put our efforts tends to come easily. We have a natural division of skills and labor. We support each other in each of our endeavors. We walk every morning. We have dinner every evening all from our farm/efforts and most often very simple. We live where we work and we have good people on our team working with us!”

Bottom line, Clare concludes, “we have learned there is power in just getting started on what ever it is!”

Hah! Maybe they’re picking up a bit of that Nike “Just Do It” mentality. In any event, it’s great advice.

Now on to the wines. Among the Current releases are four Chardonnays, a rosé, an orange Pinot Gris, a half dozen Pinot Noirs and a Syrah from the Rocks District. I’ve tasted most of them over the past week. Along with impeccable balance and the fact that each wine has specific, distinguishing characteristics, they last in the bottle for a remarkably long time. I do not do anything to ‘preserve’ open bottles. They simply sit on my kitchen counter overnight and get tasted again the next day. Depending on how that goes, they sit overnight again and get tasted on the third day. Some of the BTF wines profiled here were still drinking beautifully on the fourth day!

Big Table Farm 2022 Pinot Gris (Blackberry label) – The winery’s version of Pinot Gris stands well apart from the Willamette Valley norm. It’s an assertively orange wine with the color of a fading sunset. Lush scents mix kumquat, candied orange peel and a whiff of white smoke. Time on the skins ups the tannins and adds textural heft, while ample aeration brings hints of orange pekoe tea through a long finish. The core fruit emulates the aromatics, suggesting that this would be a fine wine to accompany seafood or poultry sauced or grilled with fruit. A well-done orange wine, and this is surely one, has the ability to last for several days after being opened. 140 cases; 13.3%; $38 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Chardonnay (Blossom label) – This is a sturdy, solidly-built wine, a bit blocky and firm throughout. The core stone fruits are framed with light flavors of citrus, medium acids and a gentle suggestion of oak. If you will be drinking this anytime soon I’d recommend that you decant it. As it breathes open it gains more texture and nicely woven herbal accents through a long, lean finish. Still drinking quite well on day three, which suggests that you tuck a few bottles in the cellar for long term aging. 92 cases; 14%; $48 (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Chardonnay (Honeybee label) – This gorgeous wine is packed with whirlwind flavors. They swirl around the palate in a glorious mélange of stone fruits, dried herbs, citrus peel, bee pollen and butterscotch. Great concentration and superior length are the cornerstones; it’s the depth, length and detail that make this a great Chardonnay. A stunning value, it should be enjoyed over the rest of the decade. 92 cases; 13.4%; $48 (Eola-Amity Hills) 96/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Earth Pinot Noir (Skull label) – This is a compendium of all the vineyards sourced by Big Table Farm. All whole cluster, native yeast, foot-stomped, basket press – this is a fine expression of artisanal winemaking. Aromatic, elegant and refined, this is one of those young Pinots that already shows the depth and balance to evolve beautifully over time. Wow did this open up on the second day. Crushed roses, wild berries, sassafras and a touch of chocolate keep it fascinating. 1846 cases; 13.2%; $120 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Cattrall Brothers Vineyard Pinot Noir (Truck label) – There’s a gentle earthy/funky/leathery note underlying this light-hearted Pinot. It evokes the charms of the old truck depicted on the label – a well-loved, timeworn, rustic style that is both comfortable and comforting. Light strawberry and cranberry fruit is the focus, with peppery herbs and touches of tanned leather and compost filling out the rest. Low in alcohol but high in enjoyment, serve this lightly chilled and let it open as it warms. 125 cases; 12.4%; $72 (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Pinot Noir (Barn label) – This is a potent, muscular wine with a steel spine. The rich plum and cherry fruit flavors are showcased with lighter barrel notes of brown sugar and maple syrup. Maybe some bacon in there too (almost like Syrah). Undeniably delicious, this punches above its listed alcohol with full-bodied, dark-fruited power. Drink this with hearty fare over the rest of the decade. 233 cases; 13.9%; $72 (Yamhill Carlton) 93/100

Big Table Farm 2021 Sunnyside Vineyard Pinot Noir (Chicken label) – Both elegant and powerful with perfect balance, this might be BTF’s most iconic Pinot Noir. Year after year it shines with terroir-focused style. Built for long term aging, it is nonetheless quite enjoyable right after being released. Core fruit flavors bring brambly berries, savory herbs, clean earth and a hint of flint into play. At first you find pretty strawberry/cherry fruit, but as you dive down more and more substance and details emerge. Let it breathe, as always with young wines, and tuck away a few bottles for drinking in 10 – 15 years. 250 cases; 13%; $72 (Willamette Valley) 94/100

Wineries – The weather window has opened for shipping your current and upcoming releases. Your wines will be rested and given plenty of opportunity to open fully as I taste them repeatedly, often over 24 hours or more. Please include specific information on case quantities, release dates, retail pricing, vineyard sourcing etc. Two bottles of each is requested, not required. All wines will be tasted; only reviews and scores for recommended wines will be published. I will give special consideration to wines that have a compelling story or are breaking new ground.

Important – It is reader support that energizes and inspires this Substack. If you find these posts valuable, please share them with your friends and colleagues, and encourage them to subscribe. Thank you!