Carter Cellars

Carter Cellars boasts an exquisite portfolio of Napa Valley Cabernet blends, each grown from top vineyards like Beckstoffer To Kalon and Las Piedras, and crafted by extraordinary winemakers like Nils Venge and Mike Smith. What started as a hospitality business has exploded into a cult wine contender, forged by its owner, Mark Carter. Now partnering with Bevans Cellars owner, Russell Bevans, Carter continues to acquire plots in illustrious Napa vineyards and hopes to bring the winery to international stardom in the near future.

The Birth of Carter Cellars Winery

Carter Cellars Winery was founded in 1998 by Mark Carter, though its history traces back to the proprietor's successful "Carter House Victorian." The boutique hotel started as a small bed and breakfast in the heart of Eureka, California, but was later forced to expand into Carter House Inns after seeing tremendous success. Its associate restaurant, Restaurant 301, was similarly a site that attracted many travelers and became the site of Carter Cellars' birth.

Mark began hosting dinners with a stunning wine list, attracting wine aficionados like Nils Venge to experience the dinners. Venge quickly piqued Mark Carter's interest, as he was responsible for Napa Valley's first 100-point score from Robert Parker. His expertly crafted 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was labelled "America's First Perfect Wine" and gained a comparison to Chateau Mouton from the renowned critics.

After a few discussions, the pair decided to open a winery with no brick-and-mortar facility, choosing instead to source grapes from top Napa vineyards. And in 1998, Carter Cellars was created using Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coliseum Block of Hossfeld Vineyard. Two years later, the winery began partnering with Beckstoffer To Kalon, joining California cult estates like Schrader and Paul Hobbs to use the world-class fruit. 

Today, Carter Cellars sources fruit from eight vineyards to create twenty wines, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon to Proprietary Red Blends. Furthermore, Carter found a permanent home in Envy Winery, a 17-acre property on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. Prior to the 2006 purchase, Carter Cellars wine was crafted at Saddleback Cellars in Oakville.

Carter Winery Napa Vineyards & Terroir

Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon

Its prized plot lies at Beckstoffer To Kalon, where three Cabernets are crafted. The inaugural 2000 vintage was a single-vineyard Cabernet, though two new cuvées were produced starting in 2010 after the Carter Winery acquired additional blocks. Carter Cellars 'Three Kings' is the most opulent of the trio, 'Grand Daddy' is the most fruit-forward and ready-to-drink, and 'The O.G.' is the most structured and age-worthy. The latter is now produced with fruit from each block and became Carter Cellars' first wine to receive a perfect rating from Robert Parker, when the 2002 vintage scored 100 points in 2012. Today, The O.G. remains Carter Cellars' flagship label. 

Coliseum Block at Hossfeld Vineyard

The site at Hossfeld Vineyard was the first site Carter Cellars acquired and is now responsible for producing two cuvees— a Proprietary Red Blend and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Coliseum Block is a steep and terraced plot that sits on volcanic soils, producing Cabernet with structured graphite, herbal scents, massive fruit extraction, and powerful tannins. Both wines are regularly celebrated as two of Napa's full-bodied, intense bottles. 

Carter Cellars Las Piedras Vineyard

Las Piedras Vineyard is another famed Beckstoffer site that Carter Cellars sources fruit from. Originally crafted in 2012, Carter's Las Piedras Cabernet was a single cuvee for its first three years until the winery acquired new rows in 2015. The new additions were located in a slightly warmer terroir on soils with more moisture, producing dense and concentrated fruit. The site was named by the migrant workers who initially farmed the land, as 'Piedras' can be translated to 'little pebbles' in Spanish. Its gentle slope and rocky soils provide great support for the vines, and each of the three Cabernets from Las Piedras are known for their bold and opulent palate. 

Carter Cellars Winery Vinification and Winemakers

Throughout its history, Carter Cellars has boasted an esteemed selection of winemakers, beginning with Nils Venge in 1998. After bringing his historic expertise to Carter Cellars, Venge passed the reins to his protege, Jeff Fontella, who previously worked at Opus One. Next, Mike Smith took over in 2009 after extensive training under Thomas Rivers Brown, Schrader Cellars' current winemaker. Today, Russell Bevans leads the winemaking, keeping much of Mike Smith's work, but exerting a greater focus on sanitation practices. 

Under Bevans' guidance, each vintage is carefully crafted, beginning with a hand-harvest, optical sorting machine, gentle press, and fermentation. Finally, the wine is aged in new French oak barrels for 18-20 months, bottled, and sold to mailing list clients and distributors. Carter Cellars wine has been described as pure, balanced, and opulent, showing well in its youth yet evolving gracefully. While the winery has been acclaimed since its inaugural 1998 vintage, critics have noted increased quality from 2012 onwards. Bottles regularly receive 90+ point scores and represent some of the best value buys in Napa's market.

Shop Carter Cellars Wine Today

With over 25 years of exceptional Napa winemaking, Carter Cellars produces some of the region's best wines, coupling outstanding winemaking talent with prime terroirs. Best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Proprietary Red Blends, these wines are the perfect cellar addition for Napa lovers. Shop our collection of Carter Cellars today for your next wine purchase.