News

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar recently reviewed our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley at 93 points: “Good bright, deep ruby. Sexy crushed blackberry, blueberry, minerals, bitter chocolate and violet on the youthfully medicinal nose. The palate is dominated by medicinal black fruit (from the petit verdot component?) and bitter chocolate flavors, yet comes across as broad, sweet and tactile, with dense, chocolatey tannins giving the wine a solid underpinning for further development in bottle. An excellent showing today.”

We’re well into the summer season here in Napa, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to the growing season.  Early warm weather this spring rendered a quick start to our vines, showing healthy shoots, prosperous flowering, and cluster set!  Low frost, minimal rain, and steady days of warm weather have positioned the 2013 vintage to be similar to the beginning of 2012.

We’ll be hosting an exclusive Carte Blanche dinner at the famed Meadowood Resort in Napa on July 17. A result of the successful St. Petersburg Wine Weekend, lot winners contributed $7500 for an event series in Napa and Sonoma. Benefiting the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, a multi-course dinner will be paired with Carte Blanche wines, and guests will leave with signed magnums of Carte Blanche Proprietary Red and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Aspen Education Foundation held an exceptional “Fantasy Takes Flight” benefit on June 20. More than 100 attendees attended the aviation-themed party and sat at one long dinner table inside a private airport hangar. A four-course meal by Chef Jim Butchart was paired with our Proprietary White and Proprietary Red. The event raised awareness for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Aspen schools.

(posted on his Crave blog, May 21, 2013)

“We paired the crudos with an amazing wine from Carte Blanche. The 2010 Chardonnay is rich and spirited and paired oh so well with the crudos. The special oak barrels used to push the wines into bliss shined bright with each bite of our dishes. This wine is made in uber small case lots and only a few select spots in town stock this juice. Look for the label at Spoon, the Mansion, Fearing’s and Cedar Social. I will more than likely do a special piece with a representative from Nicholas Allen, the winemaker, in the very near future. It is that good.”

For full article, visit: Crave

Another powerful, young wine, the 2010 Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon is incredibly dense and virtually impenetrable. Blue and black fruit, grilled herbs, licorice, new leather, menthol and tobacco flow through to an incisive finish layered with graphite and crushed rocks. Today, the 2010 is cool and implosive, suggesting it needs at least another few years to come together. The addition of 10% Petit Verdot seems to give the wine some of its brooding personality. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.
– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.  Antonio Galloni

Success at this year’s incredible 2013 Sarasota Forks & Corks!
Check out Carte Blanche founder Nick Allen in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Looking back at 2010, the vintage was one of the longest growing seasons in Napa, resulting in powerful wines held together by mature and well-developed tannins. This is our third vintage, and the wines are exceptional. Wine critics agree, as does our team at Carte Blanche: Owner Nicholas Allen, Winemaker Luc Morlet, General Manager DJ Warner, and our new Brand Ambassador, Rob Casey. The 2010s are full of energy, with layers of complexity and structure, all wrapped together in a velvet suit.

This release coincides with plenty of vintage praise. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate states:  “The 2010s are magnificent, viscerally thrilling wines loaded with character and personality. To be sure, the 2010s – the product of a long, cold growing season – are going to require a few years in bottle. This is the type of vintage that is often overlooked upon release, but that consumers regret not purchasing more deeply when the wines start showing their full potential 4-5 years later. There is no question 2010 is the greatest vintage for Napa Valley in the 2008-2011 time period.” – Antonio Galloni

SPRING RELEASE WINES

2010 Sandstone Seven, Alder Springs Vineyard, 125 cases produced.
The inaugural release of the Sandstone Seven was extremely well received, selling out quickly. This Rhone white wine sings, with beautiful floral notes, a rich mid-palate filled with honeysuckle, white peaches and integrated minerality. It lingers on your palate’s finish for minutes. Fantastic with seafood, poultry, or a warm summer day.

2010 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 200 cases produced.
One of the favorites in our portfolio and an original since 2008, the 2010 Chardonnay delivers its coastal presence through its structured frame, showcasing a voluptuous core of Meyer lemon, custard, and pie crust balanced by terroir notes of crushed granite and flint. It is a perfect complement to poultry, foul, and richer seafood dishes.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 400 cases produced. WA 94
The powerhouse. Our signature Cabernet delivers a wealth of layers, from the attack, through the mid-palate, and to its substantial finish. As the wine opens, it reveals blackberry, cocoa, blueberry alongside fresh tobacco & dried herbs, asphalt and hints of tar. The 2010 Cabernet takes your palate on a visceral ride as it opens up, and will benefit from years in the cellar.

Carte Blanche Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2009  93 pts
Beautifully made, with complex layers of red and black fruits, with blackberry, wild berry and boysenberry flavors.

Please note:
The highest rating received a 95.
Carte Blanche was number 6 out of over 175 that were tasted and rated.

To see a complete list of Tim’s recommendations click on the link below.
Tim Fish’s Recommended California Merlots

Bern’s Steak House, SideBern’s and Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits will present the 16th annual Bern’s Winefest, a four-day food and wine event held in Tampa from April 20-23. Festivities include a 1920s-themed cocktail party, Sidebern’s VIP party, two special winemaker dinners, and a Grand Tasting with more than 200 wines. This weekend remains unmatched in quality in the Southeast.

Click here to get your tickets for the 16^th Annual Bern’s Wine Fest.

We will be pouring our upcoming Spring Release Wines:
2010 Sandstone Seven, Alder Spring Vineyard, 125 cases produced.
2010 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 300 cases produced.
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 400 cases produced.