2024 Spring Release

The 2022 growing season started out cooler than usual but transitioned into a nice summer and a warm and dry October that allowed us to fully ripen the grapes and make some amazing wines! The ‘22 Wild Bee, Willamette Valley pinot noir, Pelos Sandberg pinot noir as well as our delicious ‘21 Rocks Syrah all are bottled, labeled, and ready to be shared at your table!

Please let us help you order wine in whatever way is EASIEST for YOU! We are happy to assist. Call, text, email - We are available Monday through Saturday to make sure you get the wines you love!

Spring 2024 Wines

2022 Wild Bee Chardonnay

1222 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
label – charcoal drawing of a ‘wild’ bee by April Coppini
release date: March 4th, 2024
Pricing: $34

We love chardonnay and we love making it.  So straightforward and yet delicious at the same time.  Like the Willamette Valley Pinot, the Wild Bee is comprised of all the vineyards we work with, 7 in 2022, so a true representation of the Willamette Valley.  Brian visits each site regularly and makes picking decisions mostly using his palate.  He usually waits until he tastes flavors of ripeness and looks for signals in the grape (browning seeds, softening skins) and vine (some browning leaves) – and of course what the imminent weather presents.

tasting notes -
In the Willamette Valley, whispers of the Pacific Ocean dance through the chardonnay vines. Upon the first encounter, you are greeted with a vibrant bouquet with white peaches and grapefruit peels. Freshly cut pineapple leads a cascade of zest and zeal. Key lime cuts through with an invigorating invitation. Smooth and comforting, vanilla bean sets the stage for a decadent slice of yellow cake layered with passionfruit jam. Murmurs of green apple add a refreshing applause.

scores -
93 pts — Owen Bargreen

2023 Laughing Pig Rosé

450 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$36
label - a laughing pig

We made the 2023 Rosé with direct-press fruit that was placed on top of an equal amount of fruit and allowed to soak then slowly ferment for several days. This was then all pressed together and transferred to neutral barrels. As in every vintage past, the 2023 Laughing Pig Rosé was fermented to dryness with malolactic complete and bottled unfiltered.

This wine offers up aromatics of strawberries, orange cordial and chamomile tea. Your first sip opens with a Jolly Rancher profile, lifted with acidity that shows like a soft juicy mandarin orange. Lots of fruit on the palate finishes with a wonderful creamy mouthfeel and a lovely soft profile that will complement lots of food. This is a beautifully dry and balanced rosé from all pinot noir fruit!

past vintages

2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

2139 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
label: Ingrid and Greta of big table farm
release date: March 4th, 2024
pricing: $50

The 2022 Willamette Valley Pinot noir is as always comprised of all the vineyards we work with – each is treated with equal diligence and as Brian says, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  The wines are 100% whole cluster, fermented with whatever yeast blows in the door and nurtured to dryness and perfect extraction with a combination of foot trodding and pumpovers, and a gentle press.  Then put into barrel with a combination of new(some) and old (mostly) and then stirred and topped weekly until the malolactic conversion is complete. We bottle after 10 months in barrel without any fining or filtration.  We drink this wine regularly and we hope you will too!

tasting notes-
This wine unfolds its tale with an aromatic prelude of dried roses, coriander and muddled raspberry. Venture deeper into the glass and the story darkens, revealing a core of a forest at dusk. Candied bacon, anise and strawberry guava parade across the palate with a savory sweetness. A narrative of flavors, each sip is a chapter in its own right, a story that promises to linger after the curtain falls, leaving you yearning for just one more taste of its enchanting story.

scores -
93 pts — Owen Bargreen

2022 Pelos Sandberg Pinot Noir

269 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
label: spoon and fork vineyard row marker
release date: March 4th, 2024
pricing: $72

This is our 13th vintage working with Don Sandberg and the fruit from his PSV vineyard, and year in and year out it is a crowd pleaser – I use selected barrels to make our !Salud! donation wine and then chose from the remainder to make the vineyard designate.  The Salud blend is also usually a crowd pleaser and does very well at the big board auction – it is only a 6 case blend versus the 250+ cases of Pelos, so there is a little more to go around, but be quick – this wine will be gone before we know it! Don is a good friend and winemaker ( Iota wines ) and great farmer – the maxim of the best fertilizer is the farmer’s footsteps applies here for sure! Some years ago he had some fun marking the BTF rows with silverware and kitchenware he got at the thrift store, including a ladle that the vineyard guys sometimes use on days they bring soup for lunch! The drawing for this year’s label is an end post with a spoon and fork that show me where to go.  Thank you Don - we hope the next 13 years are as good as the last!

tasting notes -
On the palate, this wine reveals a crux that juxtaposes freshness and richness. An inviting bouquet of violet blossoms are present just long enough to capture the spirit of adventure. Juicy pomegranate, orange peel and hints of cedar weave in a touch of fruit and earth, grounding the aromatic profile in something both wild and comforting.  A vibrant burst of raspberry jam coats the palate with a rich sweetness balanced immediately by a savory complexity. The duality invites a deeper exploration into the wine’s character, echoing the adventurous nature of Oregon.

scores -
95 pts — Owen Bargreen

2021 The Rocks Syrah- Funk Estate

133 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
label-a vine in the rocks
release date: March 4th, 2024
Pricing: $72 

This might be my favorite version of this wine yet!  Rich and supple yet balanced and still light on its feet, almost ethereal! Rich Funk diligently farms his vineyards in Milton-Freewater, and has his own winery too, Saviah Cellars.  It is 200 miles east of the Willamette valley, still in Oregon but a world apart.  The ‘soil’ is dominated by rounded stones that seemingly go down forever. We are so pleased he has sold us fruit since 2016, the 2022 and 2023 are in barrel and progressing nicely.   A 2-year elevage for this wine makes it a year behind the pinots. I open and enjoy over 3-4 nights. I hope you will too!

tasting notes-
When this Syrah hits your lips, it captures the essence of its terroir with elegance and intention. On the nose, the wine presents a blend of aromatics with plum jam, dried black cherry and sun-drenched marionberry, adding vibrant hues of sweetness and depth. A hint of teriyaki jerky introduces a savory counterpoint, adding dimension and intrigue. A showcase of kalamata olives, dried figs and chocolate-covered coffee beans keeps you moving and grooving with some energy.  Each taste takes you deeper into funky town.

scores -
96 pts — Owen Bargreen

Spring Wine packs:

Every release Clare puts together a couple of preselected packs for your drinking pleasure! This spring to keep your ordering easy you can choose from Clare’s pick, big table farm Reds, or a nice mix of our spring and fall barrel select pinots- select by the 6 pack or double up for a case, shipping included!

Clare’s pick:
2022 Laughing Pig Rose
2022 Wild Bee Chardonnay
2021 Sunnyside Vineyard Pinot Noir
2021 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir
2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
2022 Pelos Sandberg Vineyard Pinot Noir

big table farm Reds:
2021 Cattrall Brothers Pinot Noir
2021 Sunnyside Vineyard Pinot Noir
2021 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir
2022 Pelos Sandberg Pinot Noir
2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Rocks District Syrah - Funk Estate

Barrel Select 6 pack:
2021 Sunnyside Pinot Noir (2)
2021 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir (2)
2022 Pelos Sandberg Pinot Noir (2)

Fall 2023 Wines

2023 Fall Release

Our fall AVA and vineyard designate pinot noir and chardonnay are back! After the ups and downs of 2020 here in the Willamette Valley the ‘21 vintage wines are coming off the block bold and beautiful-turns out we aren’t the only ones who think so! Please check out our press page for the latest scores, articles and tasting notes. We are so excited to be able to share these special wines again with you- they were sorely missed around here!

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about ordering our wines- by text, phone or email we are here to help!

2021 Eola-Amity Chardonnay

92 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$48
label-Clare’s honeybee

The longer I work with Willamette valley chardonnay the more I am impressed with what comes from the Eola-Amity hills- warm days, cool nights and newer plantings with clones suited to the conditions consistently produce delicious wines of unctuousness and yet still crisp.  Some new oak is used but not too much – balance is the key – and hopefully what is balanced for me works for you too!


tasting notes – Brilliant and lifted – you cannot help but notice the energy effusing from the glass.  The nuanced aromatics are just a sneak peek of what is to come with the first sip. Lemon curd and white peach lead your palate on a journey through honeysuckle vines and apricot orchards. Rounded, yet vibrant, this wine suits all occasions from harvest parties to  a seafood boil.

scores -
96 pts — Paul Gregutt
92 pts — Wine Enthusiast
96 pts — International Wine Report Editor’s Choice
17 pts — Jancis Robinson (20 pt system)
92 pts — Vinous
92 pts — Wine & Spirits

2021 Yamhill Carlton Chardonnay

92 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$48
label-blossoms from big table farm

I often say pinot from Yamhill Carlton has a core of power and strength that the fruit and tannin revolve around – I would say similar for the chardonnay – ripeness  and richness work with the fruit, oak and yes, a little bit of tannin that will make your mouth want more, and a bite to go with it!

Childhood memories of white and yellow gummy bears ignite a playful approachability to a wine with deep complexity. Hints of jasmine pearls, red anjou pears, and lemongrass hold your attention just long enough to allow the lingering river rock minerality to shine through.  It’s impossible to ignore the desire to pair this with every meal. Well-rounded, daily drinker.

scores -
93 pts — Paul Gregutt
93 pts — Wine Enthusiast
93 pts — Vinous
94 pts — Wine & Spirits

2022 Pinot Gris

140 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$38
label-blackberry- the goats’ favorite treat!

Orange as always!  We have been buying Pinot Gris from Brian and Jill O’Donnel at Belle Ponte for 6 years now and really enjoy working with this fruit!  They are also in the Yamhill Carlton AVA.  We fermented with skins and stems per BTF normal, giving this wine it’s color and more importantly red fruited flavors and more texture and tannin than if we pressed and just used the juice to make white wine. The resulting wine is copper in color and has some tannin and red fruited notes to it that make it absolutely delicious with seafood, particularly salmon or crab with lots of butter! We always crack open a bottle of our pinot gris when the first Dungeness crabs hit our table in the fall, I highly recommend giving it a try!

tasting notes - Inviting aromas dried cranberries and chamomile tea with a hint of fresh rolls out of the oven. The mid palate is bursting with apricot and cherry with and just enough tannin to hold the fruit into a long lingering finish that has the perfect lift of acid that calls for another sip.

scores -
92 pts — Paul Gregutt
91 pts — Wine Enthusiast
93 pts — International Wine Report

2021 Cattrall Brothers Pinot Noir

125 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$72
label-Bill and Tom’s ‘46 Ford flatbed

Bill and Tom continue to be dedicated organic grape growers and have sold us pinot noir since 2009!  For those of you who like the earthier side of pinot this wine is for you – it ripens a little slower that everything else we work with, so it has a delicacy to it – but amazingly this vineyard is one that always impresses me and surprises me at how well it holds up to time – we just opened a 2010 – delicious and still delicious two days later!  I typically prefer young wines, that is what I am surrounded by, but if you find an older CBV give it a try!  Yes, Tom delivers the grapes in their old flatbed truck as is on the label – only 125 cases, the deer and the birds thought the fruit was good too!

tasting notes –

Can you smell “umami?” Technically, no. However, the experience of this brooding and savory wine may make you believe otherwise. Belied by its faint appearance, an earthy, spicy and slightly sweet aroma awaits and draws you into the faint redolence of a pacific northwest forest campsite. Layers of blackberry compote, sautéed mushrooms, and cast-iron bacon follow - comforting the senses.  A bright, delicate thread of blood orange, currants, and muddled strawberries enlivens the palate, leaving only shadows and soft footprints behind.

scores —
92 pts — Paul Gregutt
96 pts — Wine Enthusiast
96 pts — International Wine Report Editor’s Choice
93 pts — Wine Spectator
16.5+ pts — Jancis Robinson (20 pt system)
94 pts — Wine & Spirits

2021 Sunnyside Pinot Noir

250 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$72
label-one of Clare’s roosters

Luci and Tom are the owners and farmers of Sunnyside vineyard – their dedication to growing grapes, their sense of anticipation and wonder about the details, their sensitivity to plant responses to growing conditions and their dedication to delivering the very best they can is inspiring – we have been buying from them since 2011! As a testament to their belief in us they are ‘founders’ – what is this you ask?  When it came time to build our winery the first question was – with what money? We were putting everything we had into building our wine business – we had very little to put towards a down payment for a construction loan.  Clare put together a ‘crowd funding’ package of a dinner here at the farm, a case of magnums, and donors’ names on the winery. Thank you to Luci and Tom and everyone else who believed in us and helped with our winery build project. We continue to do our best with the Sunnyside grapes and every year it is a standout in my opinion, and that of many others as well!  2021 is no exception!

tasting notes –It’s no coincidence that this wine exudes a confidence that you’d find on the sunny side of the street.  Sophisticated and balanced with a dreamy disposition. Cardamom, sandalwood, and dried rose lend way to a baked, red fruit jumble that allows you to leave your worries on the doorstep while you dance with the crushed velvet tannins.

scores -
94 pts —Paul Gregutt
92 pts — Wine Enthusiast
95 pts — International Wine Report
93 pts — Wine Spectator
93+ pts — Vinous
92 pts — Wine & Spirits

2021 Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir

233 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$72
label-Hancox family barn

The Yamhill-Carlton AVA is our home turf – and as I alluded to regarding the chardonnay – the AVA tends to make wine with a boldness and power to it – 2021 is no exception!  Ripe fruit along with supple tannins, a sweet mid palate, and some oak to round it out make this a delicious wine now and for a few years to come.

tasting notes – Inviting with a deep gravity. The airy notes of lilac, rose petal, and warm Earl Grey tea spice circle around a dense core of dried bramble berries, black cherry cola and pomegranate molasses. As time slowly passes, textures of nutty granola with spiced wildflower honey arise, complementing the dark, concentrated berry notes. Each sip invokes recollections of freshly-baked blackberry oatmeal bars. #breakfastofchampions

scores -
93 pts — Paul Gregutt
91 pts — Wine Enthusiast
93 pts — International Wine Report
91 pts — Wine Spectator
94 pts — Vinous
93 pts — Wine & Spirits