nose is not overly strong, but I am writing this 24 hours after opening, and keeping it corked. initial taste is on the sweet side, raisin perhaps even date followed by a hint of acid then tannins. the acid and tannins are subtle. the finish/linger is tannins but they are not pucker strong. the color is a very deep ruby,purple ink with notably thick viscosity. although the salesperson recommended a long cellar period, I am now wondering if that is the case for carter wines
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Classic Carter, firing on all cylinders after a few hours slow ox. Dark purple/velvet coloring, Blackberry and cocoa nibs. Represents a blend of the BTK / LPV of the single vineyard wines. I always find this one to represent decent value in the Carter portfolio.
Nose is somewhat shy for the first half an hour. Letting this breathe for an hour in the decanter is necessary to release the dense and deep blackcurrant, star anise, dried sage and fresh fennel with a touch of dark chocolate. Nice minerality on the palate which largely echoed the nose. An extended length of black fruits and cedar on the full-bodied structure. Not as complex and balance as the Coliseum red blend. Finish is clean, deep and lingering. At the moment, the structure is hiding many of the fine elements now.
I love this wine. Hits every note I ask for, supple dark fruit, nice balance, some tannins but not overly restrictive, and subtle undertones of earth and wood. Will be interesting to see how it evolves but already a beauty.
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Four hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, sugar plum, raspberry, fresh violet, semi-sweet chocolate ganache over a sugar cookie, blood orange, and subtle pistachio on the nose. Dry, plush palate, with nice, tongue coating acidity. Very firm, satiny tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful, but has very nice depth. The tannins are a bit raw. There’s lots of room to grow in another year. It’s legitimately a fun wine even now (with a few hours of air).
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This is an exceptional wine in the 2019 Carter lineup, drinking amazingly well with some air. I like this vintage, it's amazingly approachable when compared to the 2018's. See previous notes.
An incredible wine. Every bit as good as when tried at winery last month, couldn't keep my hands off of it. Decanted for ~90 min ahead of time. Rich, lush, velvety and wonderfully smooth. Big bouquet with the usual valley suspects. Dried tobacco leaf, glove leather, rich ripe dark fruits, cacao nibs. With the three in the lineup tonight, the win easily goes to Carter in what is a lopsided victory
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Epic Napa Trip - Day 1: Tasted at Carter Cellars - Very nice Cali Cab...certainly hedonistic, but the fruit is fantastic and there is some complexity here to keep it interesting. Rich mouthfeel. I actually liked this better than some of the single vineyard Cabs. Dark fruit, chocolate with hints of sweet tobacco and earth. Toasty oak is also present, but this wine is drinking great right now, and will likely get even better. 94 today and should improve slightly in score as it sheds baby fat and shows more tertiary qualities. Drink now for hedonistic enjoyment or later if you prefer more secondary flavors.
Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Love the amalgamation of multi-vineyard sources. Antithesis of the single vineyard, single clone, single block trend. A Hossfeld, Turnbull, Las Peidras, Weitz, 3 Kings combo. Some good barrels from some good vineyards. Doesn't always mean more complexity and depth, but in Mark’s hands it sure does
Thinking about buying more to lay down but wanted to see where it’s at first - impressive at this youthful stage. Dark ruby fruit - currants, blackberry, and dark cherry. Really smooth with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Surprised by how soft/well-integrated the tannins are for such a young/higher-end cab. Nice vibrant flavors of dark berries, baking spices/licorice, cassis, and a mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant despite its youth. No surprise of the 96 to 99 rating from Dunnuck. Really enjoyable and approachable with a decent decant, however, the Winery recommends laying down this vintage for two to three years. 100% cab.
Part of portfolio tasting at Carter Cellars. These wines are all about power. Heavy fruit and heavy oak throughout. All have a profile that are signature Carter. Used to love these, now find somewhat one-dimensional. Out of the line-up, I found Carter to be nice blend of BTK, but didn’t stand out. Others I was with were really glowing about these wines, so likely just change in preference.
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Third of six wines at Carter. Floral nose and purple color. In a bubble I could see this being something people might enjoy now, but compared with the Fortuna and Weitz it's clear this needs time. The tannins need time to resolve and the solid acidity will help it to age. Very dry finish. This is an infant right now, but has the stuffing to develop beautifully.
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This wine is amazingly approachable and just a delight to drink to be so young (see previous notes). 97+ Points now and bound to improve but excellent right now….. why wait?
This is an amazing Cab the second time around, maybe slightly better than the last tasting experience. Ripe dark berry fruits, black cherry, crème de cassis and cedar aromas. This wine is big, full-bodied, nicely extracted, just a delight to your palate. You will not be disappointed with this wine. The 2019 Carter lineup is well crafted Cabs and are a joy to drink. 97-98 Points and perhaps the best Carter Carter vintage that I have experienced to date.
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Carter Lineup (Envy Wines): 4th wine poured and #3 of 8 for score. I really like this wine. This was built more for my palate and felt more “classically” made than all the other wines. This was also more accessible now and if no one has had a Carter before, this is what I would recommend to them. Lots of black fruit, tree bark and toasty oak. This was really good. Good mouthfeel and the wine felt a bit more balanced than the first three. I would not hesitate to buy this at the price it is at now ($165). 97 pts.
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After tasting a number of 2019s in the past few months (including VV, Kinsman, Carter, Myriad), it seems to be an overall more approachable than the 2018 vintage, with elements of the 2015 and 2016 vintages. However, it seems some of the wines we tasted at Carter are already starting to close up (bottle shock).
This wine is lush and fruit forward with a nice complexity and weight, but carries noticeable alcohol on the nose and palate with somewhat overpowering and astringent tannins that dominate the wine. Lots of black cherry, blackberry, and graphite with slight herbal characteristics of menthol and eucalyptus. Contrary to other reviews here, I didn't find this wine as enjoyable, and strongly preferred the 2018 and how it showed last year at this time. Even though it's obvious that there's a lot going on with this wine, I felt the mid-palate and finish to be slightly lacking, as it just seemed like it needed more time to integrate and come together.
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Another exquisite Carter Cab, it's amazing how these wines are showing so soon after bottling. Dark crimson purple color with a perfumed violet nose. This is big, full bodied and contain an explosive charge of great flavor extraction, yet elegance right out of the gate. Ripe berry fruits, blue and blackberry, dark cherry, cream de cassis, yummy. This wine and the Las Verdad are locked and loaded ready to please. The winemaker says the Carter is a blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from all there vineyard sources, a delightful concoction indeed. These wines are very tempting to drink whenever you like, they will be very difficult to avoid going forward. 97-99 Points.
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Coravin wine tasting with Carter Cellars La Verdad and "Carter", and, Quivet Las Piedras and Shiverick Reserve. All were outstanding and confirms what others have said about the 2019 vintage -- it's really solid and ready to go!
This is another one of my favorites year in and year out. A blend from Carter's portfolio that changes yearly and this year, I do not have any notes as of yet.
Purple and red and translucent in the glass. Nicely balanced with earth notes throughout. I am going to open this bottle up so I will have more detailed notes later. Acid and tannins are very well integrated; especially for a blend from multiple vineyards.
This is ready to go. Drink your 2019s while your 2018s sleep in your cellar.
3/8/2024 - Drbobo Likes this wine: 94 Points
nose is not overly strong, but I am writing this 24 hours after opening, and keeping it corked. initial taste is on the sweet side, raisin perhaps even date followed by a hint of acid then tannins. the acid and tannins are subtle. the finish/linger is tannins but they are not pucker strong. the color is a very deep ruby,purple ink with notably thick viscosity. although the salesperson recommended a long cellar period, I am now wondering if that is the case for carter wines
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1/20/2024 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic Carter, firing on all cylinders after a few hours slow ox. Dark purple/velvet coloring, Blackberry and cocoa nibs. Represents a blend of the BTK / LPV of the single vineyard wines. I always find this one to represent decent value in the Carter portfolio.
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6/16/2023 - Psdycp wrote: 92 Points
Nose is somewhat shy for the first half an hour. Letting this breathe for an hour in the decanter is necessary to release the dense and deep blackcurrant, star anise, dried sage and fresh fennel with a touch of dark chocolate. Nice minerality on the palate which largely echoed the nose. An extended length of black fruits and cedar on the full-bodied structure. Not as complex and balance as the Coliseum red blend. Finish is clean, deep and lingering. At the moment, the structure is hiding many of the fine elements now.
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11/10/2022 - cfluehr Likes this wine: 98 Points
I love this wine. Hits every note I ask for, supple dark fruit, nice balance, some tannins but not overly restrictive, and subtle undertones of earth and wood. Will be interesting to see how it evolves but already a beauty.
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11/1/2022 - Cabernetking wrote: 94 Points
Good but not up to the level of the 2018.
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10/26/2022 - APS2 wrote: 94 Points
3 hour decant, not ready. On second day it opened up, however still needs time. Layers of cherry with mint and spice.
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8/29/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
Four hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, sugar plum, raspberry, fresh violet, semi-sweet chocolate ganache over a sugar cookie, blood orange, and subtle pistachio on the nose. Dry, plush palate, with nice, tongue coating acidity. Very firm, satiny tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful, but has very nice depth. The tannins are a bit raw. There’s lots of room to grow in another year. It’s legitimately a fun wine even now (with a few hours of air).
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4/5/2022 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
This is an exceptional wine in the 2019 Carter lineup, drinking amazingly well with some air. I like this vintage, it's amazingly approachable when compared to the 2018's. See previous notes.
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12/16/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine: 95 Points
An incredible wine. Every bit as good as when tried at winery last month, couldn't keep my hands off of it. Decanted for ~90 min ahead of time. Rich, lush, velvety and wonderfully smooth. Big bouquet with the usual valley suspects. Dried tobacco leaf, glove leather, rich ripe dark fruits, cacao nibs. With the three in the lineup tonight, the win easily goes to Carter in what is a lopsided victory
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12/5/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Epic Napa Trip - Day 1: Tasted at Carter Cellars - Very nice Cali Cab...certainly hedonistic, but the fruit is fantastic and there is some complexity here to keep it interesting. Rich mouthfeel. I actually liked this better than some of the single vineyard Cabs. Dark fruit, chocolate with hints of sweet tobacco and earth. Toasty oak is also present, but this wine is drinking great right now, and will likely get even better. 94 today and should improve slightly in score as it sheds baby fat and shows more tertiary qualities. Drink now for hedonistic enjoyment or later if you prefer more secondary flavors.
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12/5/2021 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Napa trip day 1: Drank a small glass over 45 minutes at the winery. Fruit forward and pretty big. Modern in style.
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12/1/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 97 Points
Excellent Cab 96/97 Points.
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11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine: 95 Points
Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Love the amalgamation of multi-vineyard sources. Antithesis of the single vineyard, single clone, single block trend. A Hossfeld, Turnbull, Las Peidras, Weitz, 3 Kings combo. Some good barrels from some good vineyards. Doesn't always mean more complexity and depth, but in Mark’s hands it sure does
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11/5/2021 - Badmonkey wrote: 97 Points
Thinking about buying more to lay down but wanted to see where it’s at first - impressive at this youthful stage. Dark ruby fruit - currants, blackberry, and dark cherry. Really smooth with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Surprised by how soft/well-integrated the tannins are for such a young/higher-end cab. Nice vibrant flavors of dark berries, baking spices/licorice, cassis, and a mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant despite its youth. No surprise of the 96 to 99 rating from Dunnuck. Really enjoyable and approachable with a decent decant, however, the Winery recommends laying down this vintage for two to three years. 100% cab.
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9/16/2021 - SanCarlosRunner wrote: 95 Points
Part of portfolio tasting at Carter Cellars. These wines are all about power. Heavy fruit and heavy oak throughout. All have a profile that are signature Carter. Used to love these, now find somewhat one-dimensional. Out of the line-up, I found Carter to be nice blend of BTK, but didn’t stand out. Others I was with were really glowing about these wines, so likely just change in preference.
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8/24/2021 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine:
Third of six wines at Carter. Floral nose and purple color. In a bubble I could see this being something people might enjoy now, but compared with the Fortuna and Weitz it's clear this needs time. The tannins need time to resolve and the solid acidity will help it to age. Very dry finish. This is an infant right now, but has the stuffing to develop beautifully.
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8/15/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is amazingly approachable and just a delight to drink to be so young (see previous notes). 97+ Points now and bound to improve but excellent right now….. why wait?
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8/4/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is an amazing Cab the second time around, maybe slightly better than the last tasting experience. Ripe dark berry fruits, black cherry, crème de cassis and cedar aromas. This wine is big, full-bodied, nicely extracted, just a delight to your palate. You will not be disappointed with this wine. The 2019 Carter lineup is well crafted Cabs and are a joy to drink. 97-98 Points and perhaps the best Carter Carter vintage that I have experienced to date.
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7/24/2021 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Carter Lineup (Envy Wines): 4th wine poured and #3 of 8 for score. I really like this wine. This was built more for my palate and felt more “classically” made than all the other wines. This was also more accessible now and if no one has had a Carter before, this is what I would recommend to them. Lots of black fruit, tree bark and toasty oak. This was really good. Good mouthfeel and the wine felt a bit more balanced than the first three. I would not hesitate to buy this at the price it is at now ($165). 97 pts.
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6/21/2021 - ffzhang wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Carter Cellars (2 of 6) -
After tasting a number of 2019s in the past few months (including VV, Kinsman, Carter, Myriad), it seems to be an overall more approachable than the 2018 vintage, with elements of the 2015 and 2016 vintages. However, it seems some of the wines we tasted at Carter are already starting to close up (bottle shock).
This wine is lush and fruit forward with a nice complexity and weight, but carries noticeable alcohol on the nose and palate with somewhat overpowering and astringent tannins that dominate the wine. Lots of black cherry, blackberry, and graphite with slight herbal characteristics of menthol and eucalyptus. Contrary to other reviews here, I didn't find this wine as enjoyable, and strongly preferred the 2018 and how it showed last year at this time. Even though it's obvious that there's a lot going on with this wine, I felt the mid-palate and finish to be slightly lacking, as it just seemed like it needed more time to integrate and come together.
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6/19/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another exquisite Carter Cab, it's amazing how these wines are showing so soon after bottling. Dark crimson purple color with a perfumed violet nose. This is big, full bodied and contain an explosive charge of great flavor extraction, yet elegance right out of the gate. Ripe berry fruits, blue and blackberry, dark cherry, cream de cassis, yummy. This wine and the Las Verdad are locked and loaded ready to please. The winemaker says the Carter is a blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from all there vineyard sources, a delightful concoction indeed. These wines are very tempting to drink whenever you like, they will be very difficult to avoid going forward. 97-99 Points.
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6/5/2021 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 96 Points
Coravin wine tasting with Carter Cellars La Verdad and "Carter", and, Quivet Las Piedras and Shiverick Reserve. All were outstanding and confirms what others have said about the 2019 vintage -- it's really solid and ready to go!
This is another one of my favorites year in and year out. A blend from Carter's portfolio that changes yearly and this year, I do not have any notes as of yet.
Purple and red and translucent in the glass. Nicely balanced with earth notes throughout. I am going to open this bottle up so I will have more detailed notes later. Acid and tannins are very well integrated; especially for a blend from multiple vineyards.
This is ready to go. Drink your 2019s while your 2018s sleep in your cellar.
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