This morning, I finalized the allocation with Maya at Dalla Valle for the latest vintage of DVO, a collaboration between her family and Ornellaia, the renowned winery near Tuscany's Bolgheri, which began with the 2018 vintage. his single bottling they produce together has come a long way. The 2021 is probably their best vintage yet, thanks to the generous blend of Cabernet Franc in the bottle. The blend consists primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon, with about 36% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. Full-bodied and more expressive than earlier releases, it reveals its potential after a quick decant. Maya partnered with top vineyards— Vine Hill Ranch, Abreu Las Posadas, and Oakville Ranch— to craft this must-try red. 600 cases were produced. 

The 2021 vintage marks the fourth vintage of the DVO partnership between two iconic wineries, Dalla Valle and Tuscany’s Ornellaia. Naoko and Maya started this project in 2015 after Maya interned under Axel in 2013 and the CEO at the time Giovanni Geddes and Axel approached them about creating a wine that could express and demonstrate their friendship and mutual admiration of the approaches to winemaking that they take. Ornellaia's connection to Napa Valley runs deep, starting with their first consulting winemaker, André Tchelistcheff, and later being partially owned by the Mondavi family. This history sparked a desire to reconnect with Napa Valley.