2014 Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Haut-Brion Pedigree Meets Napa’s Best and Brightest

In December, Helen Keplinger’s 2014 Carte Blanche Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon earned a 95+ point upgrade from former Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate California wine reviewer Jeb Dunnuck, who called it a “tour de force.” Coupled with Antonio Galloni’s own 95-point rave for this “totally striking wine” that’s “rich, voluptuous and racy,” and all this praise should come as no big surprise. After all, Keplinger landed a 2014 Wine Spectator cover story, was named Food & Wine’s 2012 “Winemaker of the Year,” and she’s worked with Heidi Peterson Barrett, David Abreu, and Michel Rolland at iconic cult wineries like Bryant Family Vineyard and Grace Family Vineyards. Keplinger has access to the best-of-the-best Napa vineyards — like Missouri Hopper, the 45-acre Beckstoffer-owned property that provides the 2014 Carte Blanche Cabernet its rich core and superb structure. Packed with dense black fruit and juicy concentration, this is California Cabernet at its most opulent. We’ve secured another very limited allocation direct from the winery’s pristine, dark and cool cellars.

Carte Blanche is owned by Nicholas Allen, a New Jersey native with an enormous pedigree in the French wine business. His grandfather, Clarence Dillon, snapped up Château Haut-Brion in the 1930s, and the Pessac property has been in the family ever since.

Inspired by this sturdy link, Nicholas founded Carte Blanche in 2007, the name referencing the unlimited possibilities of California wine. He brought on Champagne-born winemaking genius and Peter Michael vintner Luc Morlet to craft the first vintages — a move that gave the fledgling winery instant credibility and acclaim.

The praise hasn’t stopped now that Keplinger holds the reins — as the 2014 Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates. Every speck of nuance from Beckstoffer’s highly desirable Oakville vines is fully fleshed out, making it easy to see why Wine Spectator called 2014 a “dream vintage.” It’s a voluptuous wine whose combination of acclaim and price point will have our Cabernet aficionados clamoring to acquire.

Vanessa Conlin