Community Tasting Note

• #1Winelover Likes this wine: 98 points

  March 31, 2022 - I wish I could select "I love it" that's how great this is!
  
  For 2019, Mike Smith made the wine and then Carter Cellars and Russell Bevan blended the wine, which worked out perfectly. I never could quite figure out why Carter Cellars wines were a little different -- and better -- from all of the other Mike Smith bottlings and now I know. The bending is a very important component! This is a full-bodied yet strained representation from Las Piedras.
  
  This '19 Las Piedras wine actually reminded me of Bevan's 100 point 2018 Dr. Crane wine with some obvious differences between the vineyards as well. It's that solid. Dark purple with blue and black coloring. Very strong smell; however with a small decant, this is ready to go. Refrigerated overnight and even better on day 2. Velvety tannins, translucent in the glass, perfect balance of acidity. It has energy and just a touch of minerality -- this is one of those WOW and memorable wine moments!
  
  It was great after drinking quite a few over priced and highly rated wines that I struggled to enjoy -- and finish. Very happy to report that I was able to re-stock my cellar as I doubt that I will be purchasing their 2020, which they are producing.
  
  Zalto decanter and Made-In stemware

  7 people found this helpful 3,604 views

17 Comments

• sean7711 commented:

  3/31/22, 6:41 AM - Great note! Interesting that Bevan help blend in 2019. I also saw the Carter email the other day noting they will have 2020 wines which I was surprised about. Are you going to buy any when the offer comes out? Carter consistently is a good product so I may buy a few to see.
  
  I am waiting for my 2019 Fait Main LPV to arrive any day now. After a few weeks, I will have a 2019 LPV showdown between FM, Carter, and Memento Mori. It will be a good night for sure.

• #1Winelover commented:

  3/31/22, 7:05 AM - Now that will be a good night for sure and I wish that I was there!
  
  For 2020, I'm not buying anything without trying it. So, they can either send me a bottle -- or a small tasting glass container. I was surprised as well. My wallet will thank me. I get to Philly semi-regularly as I am from Philly originally and have clients there. We can do a wine dinner sometime!
  
  Bevan is now Carter's winemaker, beginning completely with 2021, but he had his hands on the 2019 and 2020.

• iamandyc commented:

  3/31/22, 7:33 AM - Hi guys! Great conversation and notes. From the Lehigh Valley and you made me so jealous with talk of those wines in Philly. I had posed a question in my review of a 2016 Bevan Tench yesterday when I wondered about the switch from Smith to Bevan at Carter. I too love Carter wines (and I compared Tench to the 2016 OG) and a bit more than Bevan for elements of mouthfeel and sophistication vs. my experiences with Bevan wines (obviously both big Napa cabs). Do you guys feel Bevan will improve or "overblow" Carters' wines. Agree to avoid the big money on 2020! I know Mike released many of his 2020 Myriad cabs as well (and they sold out quickly).

• bsumoba commented:

  3/31/22, 9:29 AM - I believe Mike Smith made all the other wines prior to 2019 and it might have been this year (2019) that Beven had a hand in the blending. I suspect some sort of falling out with Mike Smith and Carter and maybe someone else that knows more can chime in.
  
  That being said, Carter wines are great if you like their style. I appreciate the style and the price point of their O.G and La Verdad so I buy it. My taste buds do tend to prefer the Eisele, Abreu, VHR style though.

• #1Winelover commented:

  3/31/22, 10:30 AM - Here are some facts. I won't speculate on anything:
  - Carter wanted to change things up and therefore, switched winemakers. This happens from time to time in Napa, but it hasn't really happened to one of my favorites before!
  - Andy: I hope Carter's team tames Bevan's style. I actually stopped purchasing his wines, but I was really blown away by his '18 Dr. Crane.
  - Mike stopped blending Carter wines with their 2015 vintage and the Carter team has done that ever since, which again makes sense because Carter is a different profile than other MS wines.
  - I am not a fan of Francoise Peschon. Her style and my palate don't work well, for some reason. That said Bsum, I love Abreu. Brad Grimes is the man! My favorite winemakers year in / year out are: Benoit Touquette (really anything he touches), Nigel Kinsman, Sam Kaplan (although Memento Mori is in my penalty box due to their stupid allocation process), Melka and TRB.

• bsumoba commented:

  3/31/22, 11:25 AM - #1 - thoughts on Vice Versa and Vangone?

• T.O.Wineaux commented:

  3/31/22, 2:15 PM - Thanks #1 for the great note. As others have expressed on this thread I too am in a bit of a dilemma as to why Carter switched from Mike Smith to Bevan as winemaker. I mean why ruin a good thing?
  
  Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how Russell will interpret the great fruit he is getting (not sure he makes anything from BTK at this time...maybe PerUs?) and make a Carter that is even better than previous MS versions. I was fortunate enough to have a tasting with Mark Carter a couple years ago (the '16 vintage) and was just blown away by how great everything they make was. I've been a Carter fan for years and agree with the concerns expressed that Bevan's Carters live up to previous vintages. We'll see!

• #1Winelover commented:

  3/31/22, 2:23 PM - Bsum -- I love Vice Versa (not their new labels) and Vangone. Vangone's story is also one for the books!

• bsumoba commented:

  3/31/22, 2:56 PM - #1 - I'm okay with some of the new labels. LOL.
  
  As far as Vangone, Mark's story of the van in the vinyeard is just too priceless. Their wine is very good as well. I think I got all his vintages so far.

• #1Winelover commented:

  3/31/22, 3:21 PM - Some are good. The wine, fortunately, is much better :). I have/had all of his vintages. I don't think that I have any left of the earlier ones. It's really good and very distinctive.

• NickRut commented:

  4/1/22, 7:57 AM - Great review as always Rob!
  
  Which of the 19 LPV bottlings from all producers is your favorite so far? Looks like you've tried at least a couple.

• iamandyc commented:

  4/1/22, 7:59 AM - The Vangone is amazing -- both the 2015 and 2016 vintages were epic. It's still under the radar and available at a little less than release pricing by online sellers. No Limit usually stocks some. Agree with #1 on VV, especially the SV's but the 2016 Le Petit Vice was an amazing QPR. Cheers all!

• #1Winelover commented:

  4/1/22, 2:19 PM - Nick: I really have a tie but I guess my year in/year out favorite is Fait~ Main due to its amazingness and QPR. It's been at $175/bottle forever. Next would be Vice Versa. I love what Melka and The Bretons do with their grapes. But their price point continues to increase every other year. When I started buying their wine with the 2015 vintage, it was $175. Now it's $250. Carter's La Verdad is my 3rd favorite. At that level, it's splitting hairs. I think that I have actually had every wine produced from my favorite vineyard LPV since 2015.

• NickRut commented:

  4/1/22, 2:20 PM - Appreciate the thoughts. Have you tried the Memento Mori LPV? I realized I've been buying more and more LPV. Feels like I need a nice big side by side.

• bsumoba commented:

  4/1/22, 2:21 PM - #1: thoughts on Macdonald? And I have a 16' La Verdad. Recommendations on when to open?

• #1Winelover commented:

  4/1/22, 2:37 PM - I like MM LPV but I dislike their allocation system and therefore, I stopped buying their wine completely. They essentially force you to purchase their blend to get to play with their single vineyards. I think it's almost extortion and I won't play that game. Their wine is very good but not any better than others that I can get as much as I want. They have a right to allocate as they see fit and I have a right to purchase what I want. And I was a long-time client who referred shit tons of people to them. Quivet's LPV used to be one of the best values in the valley as it was $125/bottle for a long time. Now that the price is approaching Fait Main, I score them on merit alone and their score falls far shorter than the others (including MM, Schrader, Paul Hobbs (good buy overpriced), Stewart Cellars and B Cellars. Quivet is better than Anthem but for my palate, those are 2nd tier wines from Las Piedras.

• #1Winelover commented:

  4/1/22, 2:40 PM - I love Macdonald! Year in and year out, it's great. I have to ration them because I only get a 3-pack even though every year I beg for more! Macdonald maintains its price point and ups the quality. Terrific people and wine!
  
  Mike Smith wines are meant to drink on the younger side, so I would think a '16 is ready to go. My advice would be to call the winery and ask them but I'm pretty sure it would be solid. If not, throw it into a decanter.

Add a Comment