Carte Blanche, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2021

Overview of the Wine Carte Blanche is Nicholas Allen’s (owner of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut Brion!) Napa project, utilizing the very best vineyard sites and an elite winemaker, (and one of our all-time favorite people) Helen Keplinger. Nicholas’ family has been in the wine business for nearly a century, since his great grandfather, Clarence Dillon, acquired Chateau Haut-Brion in 1935, and from an early age he gained an exposure and appreciation in wine. Eventually, he was inspired to produce his own boutique label in Napa Valley and he sought out the very best terroir and locked in long-term contracts where he could control the farming. Located north of the town of Yountville in the Oakville AVA, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper was originally part of a large piece of land owned by George C. Yount, from whom the town of Yountville takes its name. Purchased by Charles Hopper and given to his daughter Missouri in 1877, the land was planted to wine grapes and, as much of the Napa land was