Reviews

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

My previous notes apply. Once again, this wine absolutely killed it! The "oohs" and "aahs" across the table were instantaneous as soon as we all took our respective sips. It's no doubt this wine sold…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

My third time having this wine; previous notes apply. This wine needs another few years to really stretch its legs. It is a youngster that flaunts its youth with somewhat compacted core fruit and a…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Carter

Carter Carter...The wine so nice, they named it twice! My previous notes apply. Having an opportunity to have this wine side-by-side with the Fortuna, I found myself favoring the Fortuna just a hair…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Previous notes apply. A very compelling wine that strikes a nice balance between fruit flavor/concentration and tension/verve. This is drinking even better than when I last had it in June. The grip…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

You might as well cut and paste Cristal2000's detailed notes on this wine, as he and I had a near-identical experience. PnP and this was initially overtly fruity (red fruited) and kinda wonky. We all…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Nine months since my last bottle. I think this needs even more time in bottle (2020). PnP has a decent amount of alcohol to blow off; it took about 3+ hours before it settled down and unveiled some…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply. 9 months since my last 2012 OG. Performed very nicely, but I felt like this was still a bit restrained. Purity of fruit was noteworthy, with a nice cedar note that crept up on…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Same as my notes two months ago. A step behind the GTO and OG in terms of Carter's To Kalon wines, but a great showing regardless. Hold until 2020+.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Still awesome. Still 100 point potential. Served side by side with La Bam. The La Bam is a very good wine, but this La Verdad is on a whole other level. Superior concentration and complexity.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Same as my notes from two months ago except that I bumped this up a point. Served with La Verdad side by side. Admittedly La Bam can't match the sheer awesomeness of its superior sibling La Verdad,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Same as my notes from two months ago. 10 minutes in the glass and some swirling really brought out some elevated flavors. Not as high toned and overtly red fruited as last time. Verve and acidic…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Coming along nicely. Still fairly juvenile, carrying a youthful pop of acid and tannins (especially on PnP and for the first hour or so in the decater). A little linear in the attack, but displaying…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

PnP with red and purple berry notes. A black cherry liqueur flavor was prominent, surrounded by river rock and alcohol on the back end. Concentration and depth were notable, as was the sweet tannic…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

It's been over a year since I last had this wine. Specific previous descriptors apply. In fact, last year I wrote, "full spectrum of purple, blue, black, and red berry fruit notes, blueberry and…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

I had this wine served from 2 separate bottles (2 separate ways): Multiple Coravin 3-day old bottle and a fresh PnP.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

A very interesting wine with vibrant energy and elevated, higher-toned fruit. Displaying more tight red fruit than the La Verdad (the "original" Carter LPV block from previous vintages), the La Bam…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This and the GTO were the absolute best in the entire lineup. Where the GTO was a 110 point wine, this LPV was a mere 100 points. From the first sip, I knew it was Las Piedras. Dark purple fruit with…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Carter

This 2015 Proprietary Cabernet is a resurrection of the 2004/2005 Carter Proprietary/A&J Cabernet that originally sold for $300 over a decade ago (RP gave those wines 99 and 98 points respectively).…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

The best Carter Weitz to date, the 2015 ratchets up the depth and richness and tones down the acid to just the right amount. The amazingly beautiful grip on the Weitz is certainly one of the first…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

For a sub-$100 Napa Cabernet, and from the Fortuna site no less, this wine drinks way above its price point. Just a tick below some of the other more expansive and concentrated 2015 Carters, the…

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

A really beautiful Merlot blend, with round and supple core fruit and a mocha-infused flavor that complimented the dark purple fruit notes. A red with very nice focus and craftsmanship.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The G.T.O Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Perfect, quality fruit, beautiful concentration, extraordinary depth the likes of which I haven't had in a wine, and a finish that went on for 60++ seconds (and this was after having the other Carter…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

I've written quite a lot about this particular wine, as it is often my absolute favorite in the Carter lineup. Other previous notes have indeed covered it well. I will say once again that this wine…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This reminded me of the OG, but with a little less of that core black fruit and massive attack that inherently comes from the OG. This GD was surely opulent and inviting, but had a verve that kicked…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The G.T.O Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

DAY 1: PnP was tight and restrained, with notes of black and red currant, black cherry, spice, and alcohol. Took about four hours in the decanter to open up with additional, deeper flavors of…