Captivated by the synergism of blending wines, renowned Washington veteran winemaker, wine consultant and winery designer Brian Carter structured Brian Carter Cellars as a boutique artisan winery in the spring of 2005, the first in Washington to focus exclusively on an array of hand-crafted European-style blended wines.  A Woodinville-area tasting room was opened in 2006. 

        Under his own label, Brian concentrates on his passion for wines of complexity, while showcasing the terroir of Washington.  From the Woodinville tasting room, Brian Carter Cellars shares with visitors the art and essence of making and blending great wines through its five core blended wines, including two Bordeaux-style blends, a Rhône-style blend, a Super Tuscan-style blend and a white blend. 

       More recently, Brian began creating an additional wine for his portfolio – Abracadabra.  Using the same carefully selected vineyard sources and French oak barrels as the rest of the Brian Carter Cellars wines, Brian brings the magic of spontaneity to this wine each year, following his whims for that vintage.  While the wine is different each year, it is constant as the best value in Brian Carter Cellars' portfolio.

      “This is a fantastic time to be part of Washington winemaking," says Carter.  "The next revolution in fine wine is in the increased interest in blended wines in this country. We have an excellent selection of fruit available that allows a winemaker to produce extraordinary quality blended wines.  By handcrafting each particular blend, I am able to bring forth the inherent beauty of the fruit, the unique qualities of the terroir, and fulfill my vision of a superbly balanced wines.”
 

The Brian Carter Cellars Wine Collection

Our Tuttorosso Super-Tuscan style blend salutes the maverick winemakers who broke with tradition to create a new category of wines from Tuscany. Close your eyes, put your nose to the glass. Picture yourself walking through the early fall woods of Tuscany; it has rained the day before and there is a hint of white truffles in the air. Wild ripe blackberries line the pathway and you have a piece of dark chocolate in your hand. Take a sip; imagine yourself seated in your favorite candle-lit Italian ristorante. Now... open your eyes to Tuttorosso!

2005 Tuttorosso - 65%Sangiovese, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah.

L'Etalon
(French-The Stallion)
Bordeaux-Style Blend
Columbia Valley
$30.00 per 750 ml bottle  Sold Out
$17.00 per 375 ml bottle [Order Now]

L'Etalon is carefully crafted using Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Selected vineyards include Outlook, Klipsun, Solstice and Snipes Canyon, all located in Washington State's oldest appellation, the Yakima Valley. Dark in color, the aroma is full of blackberries, cassis and cedar. Mouth-filling flavors show soft, well-integrated tannins and a long finish.

2004 L'Etalon - 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec.
Paul Gregutt - Top 100 Washington Wines of 2007

The Byzance blend is carefully crafted from Syrah and Grenache, almost all from the Outlook vineyard located high on the Rosa slope in the central Yakima Valley. Almost black in color, the wine has aromas of blackberries, truffles and spice. Seductively balanced, the wine has well-integrated tannins as dark fruit and spice linger on the palate.

2005 Byzance - 57% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre.

Solesce is our flagship wine, meticulously crafted from Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The wine has complex aromas of blackberry, leather, toasted cedar and cassis with a long finish both supple and age-worthy. Already benefiting from three years in the bottle, the wine will continue to improve for another decade. Cheers!

2004 Solesce - Our signature wine handcrafted from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 10%Petit Verdot,7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec.

Oriana is a white wine blend handcrafted from Roussane, Riesling and Viognier, all from the Outlook Vineyard, located on the south facing slopes on the northern edge of the Yakima Valley. Richly aromatic, honeysuckle, apple blossoms and tangerines spring from the glass. This richly textured white wine finishes with food friendly acidity.

2006 Oriana - 45% Viognier, 35% Roussanne, 20% Riesling.
92 pts - Wine Enthusiast, Paul Gregutt
Paul Gregutt - Top 100 Washington Wines, 2008

2005 Abracadabra - Dark in color, the aroma is full of blackberries, cedar and tobacco with pinches of anise, tar and spice. Big flavors show soft, well integrated tannins and food friendly acidity.