2023 Big Table Farm Laughing Pig Rose Willamette Valley 750 ml

The Willamette Valley has become a hotbed for exceptional rosé, and Big Table Farm’s Laughing Pig is one of its most reliably excellent bottles. It racks up critical acclaim in every vintage, but in 2023, it reached a whole new level. 

“They make a world-class rosé each year,” said PNW-based critic Owen Bargreen, who gave it 94 points. “This year might be the finest edition of this wine that I have tasted yet,” he wrote, calling the 2023 edition “a total stunner in terms of richness, flavor range, flavor density, and underlying tension”

Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this is a generous and nuanced bottle, with the rosy hue of a seaside sunset. Wine Access Unfiltered host Amanda McCrossin calls it a red wine masquerading as a rosé—it trades pale-pink airiness for lushness, texture, ripe fruit, and silky viscosity, with mouthwatering acidity keeping everything in balance. 

Rosé’s reputation as a poolside refresher makes it easy to forget about its array of styles and potential for decadent, textured renditions like this. While lighter rosés macerate for just a few hours, Big Table Farms lets theirs soak on the skins for several days, drawing dense fruit and a gorgeous blush-copper color from its Pinot skins. 

The “farm” in Big Table Farm refers to the 70-acre property where winemaker Brian Marcy and farmer/artist Clare Carver reside. Amid farm animals, beehives, and Douglas fir forests, they make wines with fruit from various sources, and will soon have their own estate vineyard. Their blend of thoughtful winemaking, artistry, and a love for the land shines through in this balanced, polished wine.