In the beginning of July, I visited Maya at Dalla Valle to see how the construction was going with the expansion and redesign of their winery and to re-taste the 2020 vintage of their three Reds. I tasted them back in April but didn’t get the clearest sense of them as I had just tasted about 30 wines before trying theirs. Maya will admit, 2020 was not one of those easy-going years to make wine. “Our team showed tenacity and strength with every obstacle that was presented throughout the year, and the dedication to the craft shows in the 2020 wines. The growing season commenced with dry conditions and a relatively warm spring awakening an early budbreak and rapid growth. Summer slowed with classic cool Napa evenings and warm days. August accelerated ripening leading to an early harvest of beautiful fruit.” This newest release has all the hallmark characteristics of Dalla Valle Cabernet- deep fruit notes intermingled crème de cassis, cedar notes, and graphite. 

Dalla Valle Vineyards overlooks the Napa Valley floor from a hillside terrace 500 feet above the Silverado Trail in Oakville. Since Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle purchased the property in 1982 and began planting vines, this exceptional acreage has continually distinguished itself as the ideal site for producing some of the world’s finest wines, thanks to the perfect convergence of lingering sunlight, cooling marine influence and red volcanic soil.