"One of my favourite tiny boutique wineries in Napa Valley is Carter Cellars" - Robert Parker / The Wine Advocate

Born from a joint passion for great wine and exceptional hospitality, Carter Cellars has evolved to become one of the premier names amongst Napa’s cult estates. Wine lover Mark Carter started out sourcing the world’s finest and rarest bottles for his guest house and restaurant. Today he sources exceptional fruit from some of Napa’s great heritage vineyards and most prestigious terroirs.

Grapes from iconic sites such as the Beckstoffer portion of the To Kalon vineyard in Oakville – first planted in 1868 and the genesis of some of the greatest California Cabernet every produced – is treated to haute couture winemaking. Minimal handing, low sulphur and the finest French oak combine to produce intensely pure, richly-textured wines clearly stamped with their vineyard signatures.

We are thrilled to receive an allocation from Carter Cellars and proud to present our stocks from the contrasting vintages 2019 and 2020.

Looking at 2019, this is another terrific year
– Jeb Dunnuck / jebdunnuck.com

This is a stellar set of 2019s from Mark Carter and winemaker Mike Smith…big, opulent and full of richness
– Antonio Galloni / Vinous Media

One of the top vintages of the last 15 years, 2019 is classic Napa – ripe, supple and generous, with a certain opulence.

By contrast 2020 was a challenging vintage, beset by wildfires, and only the very best producers were able to seize victory from the jaws of the flames.

For wineries, most devastating blaze of 2020 was the Glass Fire. Vineyards and properties were destroyed and smoke taint has blighted many wines. Producers seeking super-ripeness and concentration were often worst hit – as they pick late and their fruit was exposed to the smoke. Those who pick earlier, usually those privileging terroir expression over sheer mass and fruit density, were able to harvest before the fire. All the Carter Cellars fruit was harvested before the Glass Fire.

While 2020 is not a vintage to buy across the board, there are some terrific wines produced by Bond, Carter, Crocker & Starr, Dalla Valle, Harlan, Paul Hobbs, Spottswoode, and others highlighted in this report that unquestionably merit attention
– Jeb Dunnuck

It is well worth noting that Jeb Dunnuck ranks Carter Cellars alongside the iconic wines of Harlan and BOND in 2020 (as well as the always exceptional Spottswoode)! This is a vintage that allowed only the greatest to shine and Carter Cellars is definitely amongst that number.

Volumes are understandably down for 2020 – only 120 cases of Le BAM were produced – so the advice is to grab them whilst you can!

-Matthew Hemming MW

The Offer:
Offered subject remaining unsold. Immediately available from our cellars in Singapore.

Hossfeld Coliseum red blend 2019
66 bottles available @ $140 per bottle (w/ GST $151.20)
The 2019 Red Blend Hossfeld Coliseum is plump, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Dark cherry plum, mocha, spice and new leather are all kicked up in this succulent, flavorful Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Mark Carter. Soft, silky tannins add to its considerable appeal. Give the 2019 a year or two to soften.
92/100 – Antonio Galloni

Lots of red and black fruits, chocolate, tobacco, cedar pencil, and loamy earth-like notes emerge from the 2019 Hossfeld Coliseum Red Blend, a Merlot-dominated, ripe, sexy 2019 with full-bodied richness, a round, mouth-filling texture, and a great finish. It has plenty of structure yet still has the vintage’s ripe, approachable, irresistible style. It should drink well for 15-20 years.
95/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

The Haze 2019
60 bottles available @ $145 per bottle (w/ GST $156.60)
A new wine in this range, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon The Haze is a blend of mostly young vine fruit from Fortuna. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and lavender all meld together in the glass. Bright floral notes lift the finish. This is such a gorgeous wine, and also a great choice for readers who want to explore the Carter range.
93/100 – Antonio Galloni

A new wine from this team, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon The Haze sports a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a ripe, seamless, already delicious style that’s very much in the profile of the vintage. Red and black fruits, new leather, spice box, graphite, and camphor are just some of the nuances, and it’s full-bodied, with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s just about impossible not to love it, and I see no reason it won’t evolve for 15-20+ years.
95/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Fortuna Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
54 bottles available @ $170 per bottle (w/ GST $183.60)
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard is stellar. As it often is, the Fortuna is one of the best wines in the range for its mix of quality and price in the realm of high-end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, leather, licorice and sage are all kicked up. This is classic Oakville Cabernet from the valley floor.
95/100 – Antonio Galloni

Brilliant stuff, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard delivers classic Napa Valley richness and depth as well as balance and class. Blackcurrants, pipe tobacco, espresso, chocolaty oak, and some Graves-like gravelly earth and cold fireplace nuances all define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This rich, powerful, yet classic and age-worthy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will shine for another twenty years or more.
96/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
42 bottles available @ $220 per bottle (w/ GST $237.60)
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Carter is a blend taken from Fortuna, To Kalon and Las Piedras. Dense, plush and sumptuous, the 2019 possesses terrific richness from start to finish. It has enough fruit to be accessible relatively early, but also the pedigree to age quite well. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, blood orange, mint and rose petal all grace this racy, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from Mark Carter.
96/100 – Antonio Galloni

Offering up an incredible smorgasbord-like array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as spring flowers, chalky mineral, tobacco, chocolate, and scorched earth, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Carter hits the palate with full-bodied richness carrying loads of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannins, and remarkable purity. Opulent and hedonistic, it shows the up-front, sexy style of the vintage while still having terrific balance and focus. It’s terrific today yet will benefit from just 3-4 years of bottle age, and it’s going to evolve for 20 years or more on its purity and balance.
96/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
54 bottles available @ $255 per bottle (w/ GST $275.40)
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper, a new wine in this range, is terrific. It has all the savoriness that is such a signature of this southern sector in Oakville, along with the textural richness readers have come to expect from Mark Carter. I love the energy and vibrancy here. The Hopper Cabernet is a great addition to this lineup. Don’t miss it.
97/100 – Antonio Galloni

From a great valley floor site, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard reveals a deep purple color as well as lots of kirsch and darker fruits, medium to full body, supple tannins, and an overall pure, elegant style that will drink well for upwards of 20 years.
96/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Beckstoffer Las Piedras ‘La BAM’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
54 bottles available @ $250 per bottle (w/ GST $270)
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard La BAM comes across as quiet and understated, two adjectives I am not accustomed to using for either wines from Piedras or Mark Carter! Succulent dark cherry, plum, gravel, lavender and spice open nicely. Ideally, it would be nice to see more tension here. I don’t find the power and gravitas that make the best Piedras Cabernets so alluring.
93/100 – Antonio Galloni

Flirting with perfection, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras La BAM is a heavenly wine in the lineup from this team. Full-bodied, opulent, and as sexy as they come, it has lots of cassis and blueberry fruits, notes of spice, flowers, and violets, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish. Despite its wealth of fruit and texture, it somehow stays flawlessly balanced and even elegant. Drink it over the coming 20-25 years.
98/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

*****

The Daze 2020
48 bottles available @ $120 per bottle (w/ GST $129.60)
Based on 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 The Daze has lots of juicy blue and black fruits as well as some scorched earth and tobacco notes. Medium to full-bodied, it has firmer, grippy tannins, but a good sense of freshness. I would drink bottles over the coming 5-7 years or so.
90/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

The Haze 2020
48 bottles available @ $150 per bottle (w/ GST $162)
First made in 2019, the 2020 The Haze is a clear step up over The Daze and has a great nose of cassis and blue fruits as well as some floral nuances. This ripe, fruit-forward, fleshy, sexy 2020 shows some of the firmer tannins on the finish, but it brings lots of fruit and will drink nicely right out of the gate.
93/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
48 bottles available @ $195 per bottle (w/ GST $210.60)
As always, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Carter comes from a blend of a selection of the single vineyards. It has a lush, rounded, mouth-filling, full-bodied style revealing good tannins, some smoky, mineral nuances, lots of kirsch and cassis fruits, and outstanding length.
93/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Beckstoffer Las Piedras ‘La BAM’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
48 bottles available @ $235 per bottle (w/ GST $253.80)
The 120-case 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard La BAM is another rock-solid 2020 that’s well worth checking out. Darker cassis and blue fruits, notes of tobacco, chocolate, and leafy herbs, medium to full-bodied richness, and some firmer tannins of the vintage all define this concentrated, impressively balanced 2020.
94/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Beckstoffer To Kalon ‘The OG’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
48 bottles available @ $235 per bottle (w/ GST $253.80)
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard The O.G. comes all from Clone 337, as well as older vines. It has quality cassis and kirsch fruits as well as some graphite and scorched earth, with lots of minerality, and offers good mid-palate depth, some firmer tannins, and outstanding length.
94/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Beckstoffer To Kalon ‘The Grand Daddy’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
42 bottles available @ $245 per bottle (w/ GST $264.60)
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard The Grand Daddy is mostly Clone 4, but they’re changing blocks going forward, so I expect future vintages to vary slightly. The 2020 is one of the standouts, and while I don’t think it matches previous vintages, it has beautiful, full-bodied aromas and flavors of blue fruits, tobacco, graphite, and incense, with ripe, polished tannins.
95+/100 – Jeb Dunnuck

Terms & Conditions:
Offer ends on Friday 28th April 2023 l No further discount l Immediate payment required l Delivery fees ($32.40) waived for purchases above $500 before GST excluding airports | Cancellation of orders not allowed l Order/s to be collected/delivered within 1 month upon stock availability l Offered Ex-Singapore & subject to remaining unsold​