Nicholas Allen Wines Carte Blanche Proprietary Red 2010
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Blend: 30% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
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Wine Spectator
Very tight, with aromas of fresh-turned earth, dried berry and herb, cedar and tobacco. Very much a Bordeaux-inspired blend of grapes and style, with an emphasis on structure. Ends with the flavors pushing through. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Other Vintages
2014-
James
Suckling
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Robert
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We have secured long-term contracts for our proprietary vineyard blocks, which allows for year-round, controlled farming. Carte Blanche wines represent the vintage, the grape varietal, and the land on which they are grown. Whether we produce a blend, a single varietal wine, or a vineyard designated wine, our sole discretion and freedom in each vintage allows us to create the finest wine possible.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.