Nicholas Allen Wines is a California producer with deep roots in Bordeaux. The estate founder is Nicholas Allen, and in 1935 his great grandfather, Clarence Dillon, purchased the legendary Château Haut-Brion. Fifty years later the Dillon family company also acquired Château La Mission Haut-Brion. Allen grew up appreciating fine wine and in 2007 he started Nicholas Allen Wines & Carte Blanche, a limited-production estate for luxury wines inspired by traditional French winemaking. Luc Morlet was Allen’s founding winemaker. In 2014 Helen Keplinger took over as winemaker. Nicholas Allen makes red and white wines with grapes sourced from exceptional Napa and Sonoma vineyards. Reviewers have described Carte Blanche wines as “totally striking…rich, voluptuous…opulent.”