January 8th – After successfully releasing 3 previous dedication wines celebrating a person that has had a significant impact on Brian’s life, Brian Carter Cellars presents the newest dedication wine: the 2017 Big Daddy, a Douro River-style blend from Yakima Valley.
Big Daddy is a tribute to both Brian’s winemaking success over 40 vintages as well as the outstanding performance of Washington State during the past decades. During Brian’s expansive career, Washington state has grown from an almost unheard wine growing area, to an internationally recognized region with 16 AVAs and 60,000 acres planted.
The key grape varieties of the Duoro Valley are Touriga Nacional, Souzao, Tinta Cão & Tinta Roriz. Fermenting these varieties to dryness with no fortification, Brian has created a deeply satisfying Portuguese style wine, Big Daddy.
The Columbia Valley AVA lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains where irrigation with river water is a necessity. This region perfectly resembles the rugged area of Cima Corgo in the Duoro Valley where hot summers, cold winters and less rain are the norm. Brian chose Upland Vineyard from Yakima Valley to source all the grapes for Big Daddy.
On the nose, the wine presents itself with a generous floral bouquet and notes of ripe fruit, leading with abundant complex dark fruit on the palate. We recommend pairing it with marinated, grilled meats from chicken to pork and beef with some spice. Big Daddy also goes perfectly with deep chocolate brownies to end your entire feast.
Wondering about Big Daddy’s irreverent label? Per tradition, we trusted our venerable label designer, Stephen Black, to present us with a unique design that could depict the inspiration behind this wine, and he delivered as always. Although originally presented as a prank, the image of Brian as Big Daddy was agreed upon by our entire team.
Visit our tasting rooms located in Woodinville and Vancouver, or our website www.briancartercellars.com to get your bottle of Big Daddy today!
