Carlton McCoy Jr. earned the title of Master Sommelier in 2013 at just 28 years old, he was one of the youngest people and the second African American to earn this prestigious title. Carlton worked in revered institutions such as Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit, Tom Colicchio’s Craft Steak in New York and most recently as Wine Director at The Little Nell in Aspen before being named President and CEO of Heitz Cellar in December 2018. In 2020 Carlton was named Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates with him overseeing the purchase of Burgess Cellars, Stony Hill Vineyards, as well as the Haynes Vineyard and the historical Wildwood Vineyard in Rutherford.

In this new role, Carlton supports each estate in their aspirations to craft elegant, nuanced and terroir driven wines sourced from naturally farmed estate vineyards. Carlton is also a co-founder of The Roots Fund, a non-profit that focuses on creating educational and employment opportunities for our BIPOC community.