Big Table Farm, 'The Wild Bee,' Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2022

Overview of the Wine
Big Table Farm is the collaborative effort of Brian, Marcy, and Clare Carver. 

In 1996 Brian worked his first harvest. Having studied fermentation science at Davis, he took to the process of wine-making easily and loved it. Brian lived and worked in Napa and Sonoma, for 10 years before He and Clare took the leap to come to Oregon.

Brian's time in Oregon has been informed by living and breathing not only wine-making but farming here in the Willamette Valley. This close relationship with his farm and our vineyards has been an important contribution to Brian’s ability to optimize each vintage. Brian is a relentless artist in his diligent pursuit of perfection, always striving to improve our wines each year.

Our home and farm is 70 acres in Oregon, where we raise animals and produce seasonal vegetables. On our farm, you'll find free-range hens, pasture-raised pigs, goats and sheep, a team of draft horses, bee hives and grass-fed cows. We are building a managed intensive grazing system of farming that builds our soil, sequesters carbon, and moves us towards a healthy, sustainable and diverse farm.

Winemaker
Brian Marcy

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Willamette Valley, Oregon

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
You are greeted with a collision of white flower and warm spice. This wine tempts me like a piece of left over apple pie on the counter in the morning. Freshly cut apples leads a smooth lead to a comforting warm curd and vanilla bean profile reminds me of a lemon Madeleine cookie. This wine finished with a beautiful lifted acid bringing you back for more.

94 Points - Decanter
The buzzing of the wild bee is felt in the honeyed aromatics that jump from the glass. Notes of apricot flesh, sweet flower pollen, and dried white flowers announce a depth and complexity to this Chardonnay. The palate delivers rich pear flavours. Hints of almond skin and lemon verbena are buoyed by cardamom and white tea leaves. Delicious, intricacy is balanced against ample fruit.

94 Points - International Wine Report
This 2022 Wild Bee is a combination of all 7 vineyards that Big Table Farm works within the Willamette Valley. It is always one of my favorites, and at $36, it’s a steal. Bountiful aromas of white peach, freshly sliced apples, kiwi fruit, and toasted tree nuts spill from the glass. The herbal and zippy finish combine with a sturdy backbone acidity to complete the wine. About 490 cases were made. 2024-2030

93 Points - Owen Bargreen
A fantastic new release at a highly reasonable price, the 2022 Big Table Farm ‘The Wild Bee’ Chardonnay was sourced from a range of vineyards that span the Willamette Valley. The nose shows toasted hazelnut tones alongside bright pear, buttered sourdough bread and green melon accents. Fresh and lively, with good tension and weight, with a lengthy finish, this is classy Oregon Chardonnay that is a serious value. Drink 2024-2032.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast 
Apisoir, a word used to describe the terroir of honey, suggests The Wild Bee has been buzzing around carnations, tangerines and tart green melons. Those aromas and flavors are joined by traces of honey butter and cashews. The wine's elevated acidity and clean, brisk mouthfeel will revive the most jaded of palates.

92 Points - Wine Spectator
This lovely white is fresh and supple, offering pear and lemon flavors, with a hint of spiced nuts on the lingering finish. Drink now.

92 Points - Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay the Wild Bee is wildly vibrant with a mix of lemon zest and sweet mint complementing freshly sliced nectarine. This is full of energy with a burst of sour citrus and flinty minerals that cascades across the palate as ripe orchard fruits settle on the senses, all enlivened by a core of vibrant acidity. The 2022 cleans up remarkably well, crisp and refreshing, leaving a salty tinge that calls the taster back to the glass. -Eric Guido

91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
A pale yellow color, the 2022 Chardonnay The Wild Bee reveals aromas of beeswax, yellow flowers, melon, and lemon custard. Medium to full-bodied, it has a creamy, rounded texture, with good length and hints of vanilla lasting on the clean finish. It is a pretty and delicately decadent wine to drink over the next 5-6 years. -Audrey Frick

Product size: 750ml