Carte Blanche

In the heart of Carneros in Napa Valley, we find the Carte Blanche winery. Nicholas Allen, the domain's founder, was introduced to wine very early on. His great-grandfather bought Château Haut-Brion in 1935, which later became La Mission Haut-Brion. Of course, wine played an important role during the numerous family dinners. Over the years, Nicholas became fascinated with all things wine-related, so it is not surprising that he soon established his own winery to be able to produce his own wines. He traveled to California with the goal of making premium Napa Valley boutique wines.

Carte Blanche strives to get the best out of nature, so that the unique properties of each plot are reflected in the wine. This makes the wines of Carte Blanche real terroir wines. The vinification is based on the traditional methods and experiences that he inherited from the generations before him. Nicholas Allen currently produces seven different wines. The main grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay. In addition, Carte Blanche markets a white Rhone blend. The first vintage of Nicholas was 2008. That year, he released the Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon, the Carte Blanche Chardonnay, Proprietary Red and Proprietary White. The wines are aged in French oak barrels. The duration of this maturation varies per vintage and per cuvée.

Despite the fact that Carte Blanche has only existed for a relatively short time, it has already received several top scores and reviews from renowned critics. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon received 94 points from both Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate and from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The same cuvée even scored 95 Parker points in 2014 and 2016 and no less than 97 in 2015.