Our Story

Magna Carta Cellars was founded in 2014 with the vision of combining new world fruit and winemaking excellence with old world traditions and sophistication. The result: a world-class, left bank-style Napa Valley Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

By limiting our annual production to only 650 cases, we can focus entirely on quality over quantity, resulting in the best-possible wines the terroir will allow. The foundation for Magna Carta starts with rich and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from Oakville in Napa Valley. Then every step of the winemaking process—from first crush to final bottling—is deliberately and meticulously executed under the direction of the renowned team of David Choi, Peter Heitz, and Scott Palazzo. The result is a one-of-a-kind wine that can truly be called artisanal.

Each variety is harvested and held separately throughout fermentation and barrel aging. Aged in French oak barrels for 20 months and then exquisitely blended together as only our artisanal team can, the wine is laid down in bottle to develop for an additional 18 months. Magna Carta wine is ready to drink upon release, or, if you can wait, cellar-worthy for decades to come.

The Team

David Choi - Proprietor

Born in Los Angeles but raised in Washington, DC, David has been in the wine business for the last decade. He found his passion for wine as the owner of one of the nation’s largest and oldest wine stores, Pearson’s Wine & Spirits. He dove deeper into the wine industry as an importer and wholesaler.

Learning all aspects of the industry, David was inducted into Jurade de Saint-Émilion, the oldest wine society in Bordeaux, in 2012 and was awarded Merite Agricole by The French Ambassador and the Republic of France for his work with French wines. His love of Bordeaux inspires every aspect of Magna Carta. "Being able to partner with Peter and Scott on Magna Carta is a dream come true. We all work so well together, and bring our different experiences into one vision of producing World Class Napa Valley wines" As one of only 60 living US Merite Agricole recipients, he has fostered invaluable friendships that have contributed to making his dream and true passion for producing great wines come true.

Peter Heitz - Winemaker

Growing up in a vineyard, producing wine came second nature to Peter. A fourth-generation winemaker, Peter grew up planting vines with his grandparents and chasing rabbits out of vineyards. After attending UC Santa Cruz, he spent nine vintages crafting the venerable Beringer Reserve wines. He became Turnbull’s winemaker in 2007, where Peter’s wines received 100-point scores and critical accolades. In fact, each of his last three vintages have featured a perfect score. It all comes from the lessons he learned from family: winemaking, first and foremost, is about farming. Exceptional grapes come from exceptional vineyards.

Scott Palazzo - Winemaker

This rock star's passion for winemaking began almost 30 years ago, while traveling through the beautiful countryside of St. Emilion and Pomerol. It was there he first began daydreaming about great Bordeaux. Then came a sort of reality check as he came back home and got in the music and television business, earning Grammy nominations in the process. But he left the glitz and glamour of Hollywood after a visit to Napa. He made the huge decision to give it all up to start an artisanal winery, Palazzo Wines. New kinds of honors for Scott soon followed, as he has scored 96 points for each of his last three vintages. Scott crafts complex and seductive Bordeaux-style wines. His wine is now served at top restaurants around the country, and his hard work has paid off.

Our Mission 

Sixty years ago, pioneering winemakers were drawn to Napa Valley with a common vision: to find and nurture a terroir that held the same excellence and prestige as Bordeaux, France. Our mission is to carry that mantle into a new generation: to produce wines that show the rich and powerful characteristics of Napa, but with the refinement and sophistication you find in wines produced on the Left Bank of Bordeaux (Saint-Estephe, Saint-Julien, Paulliac, and Margaux).

We see winemaking as much an art form as it is science and technique. Like any great piece of art, Magna Carta starts as a blank canvas, colored by the unique characteristics of Napa Valley fruit that nature provides us each year. These colors are brought to life through the love and care of our winemaking team, each with a lifetime of knowledge, experience, and passion for creating the highest and truest expression of Bordeaux-style blends.

Though it’s regaled by critics, curated, collected by top sommeliers, and served in over 20 Michelin-starred restaurants, Magna Carta Cellars is available first and foremost directly to our members. After all, a work of art is for the world to enjoy.