Carter 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings   

2018 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “The Three Kings” Oakville Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
NVWE Notes: The Three Kings Block, planted to clone 7, is always the sleeker, less operatic of Carter’s To Kalon blocks and it is so in 2018. However, this could prove the plot’s most expressive vintage ever. The nose is a complex if youthfully reserved melange of sour dark cherry, black currant, pomegranate syrup and violet fruit tones, elegantly integrated with sweet-savory notes of toasted rosemary, dried sage, red rose petal, baking-spice and tobacco scents, poised above a mineral backdrop. On the palate it is both riper and a bit more tannic than expected, as flavors of Italian Maraschino cherry, black cherry, dried cranberry, red licorice and licorice root take center-stage with a layering of dried sage, rosemary, laurel, tobacco leaf, toffee, sweet vanilla, mocha and coffee bean notes providing support. The finish is extremely long and it suppresses the tannins well enough to create an impressive dinner balance. Expect this already delicious wine to improve for four to seven years.

Vinous
94 Points
Mark Carter's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard The Three Kings is a huge, powerful wine. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and cloves saturate the palate in a dense, brooding Cabernet that will need time to come into its own. Drink 2024 - 2038. Antonio Galloni Jan 2021