Dalla Valle Wine at Flickinger Wines

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USA Red

Dalla Valle

1997

Cabernet Sauvignon

$169

WA 93 (12/2000): The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (2,800 cases from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc) boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of mineral-infused black currants, and spicy oak. Full-bodied, structured, muscular, and multi-dimensional, it is approachable, but best cellared for 2-4 years, and drunk over the following 20-25 years.

1997

Cabernet Sauvignon

Very Heavily Bin-Soiled Label

$169

1997

Cabernet Sauvignon

Lightly Bin-Soiled Label

$169

2003

Cabernet Sauvignon

Heavily Bin-Soiled Label

$119

VM 90 (6/2006): Bright medium ruby. Bold aromas of blueberry liqueur, black raspberry, menthol, minerals and black olive. Offers concentrated, sweet dark fruit flavors but not quite the lush texture of the 2004. Dominant flavor of raspberry. The lingering finish shows substantial, slightly tough but nicely ripe tannins. This has filled out nicely since I sampled it from barrel a year ago. Incidentally, just prior to my visit Philippe Melka was hired as consulting winemaker here.

WA 88 (6/2013): I believe this 2003 was made during a period when much of the vineyard was being replanted. From the famous red soils in the Oakville Corridor on the eastern hillsides overlooking such great addresses as Rudd Estate and Screaming Eagle, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a classic, earthy, creme de cassis-scented nose, but it seems more narrowly constructed and clipped in texture than usual. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to enjoy, including the dark fruits, earthiness and the medium to full-bodied mouthfeel. Given the lofty expectations due to the greatness of so many Dalla Valle vintages, the 2003 is not one of their most noteworthy efforts. Drink it over the next decade.

2016

Cabernet Sauvignon

$255

2018

Cabernet Sauvignon

$245

VM 97 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, explosive wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its finest. The energy and raw intensity are so pronounced. Inky dark fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and cedar add striking aromatic nuance, but it is the wine's phenomenal balance that stands out most. This is the first vintage that includes component wine aged in amphora. This is far from an easygoing 2018. Antonio Galloni.

JD 97 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, which always includes a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is incredible juice and a wine readers should seek out. Showing the quality and style of the vintage beautifully, it offers a captivating bouquet of crème de cassis, unsmoked tobacco, bouquet garni, and violets, with just a touch of foresty, earthy notes in the background. Aged 22 months in barrel (with a small amount in amphora), it’s full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with integrated acidity and a great finish. I love this wine and don't make the mistake of overlooking this while only focusing on the Maya cuvee.

2021

Cabernet Sauvignon

$195

WA 98 (12/2023): With a much higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%, with 9% Cabernet Franc), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is less floral than the Maya but more obviously fruity and up front. Bold black cherries and cassis lead the way, framed by gentle oak shadings of cedar and vanilla, backed by deep bass notes of rich loam and hints of tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the tannins are wonderfully judged, supple and velvety in one sip, then fine and silky in the next, while the finish lingers effortlessly, even if it lacks some of the seamless elegance of its sister.

2021

Cabernet Sauvignon

$255

2022

Cabernet Sauvignon

$190

WA 96 (2/2025): I appear to have underestimated Dalla Valle's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate prior to bottling, as this blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot is now showing more harmony and length. On the nose, intense black cherries join dark, loamy earth scents, while the medium to full-bodied palate is rich and velvety, showing admirable concentration, texture and terrific persistence on the finish.

2007

Maya Proprietary Blend

$525

WA 98 (12/2010): The 2007 Maya borders on perfection. Its dense plum/ruby/purple color is followed by abundant aromas of graphite, blueberry liqueur, hoisin sauce, smoked meats and red and black fruits. The extraordinary aromatics give way to a full-bodied, stunningly concentrated wine with everything in balance, fabulous density and richness, and a finish that lasts nearly 60 seconds. This is unquestionably one of the all-time great Mayas. In keeping with the exuberance and flamboyance of this vintage, it is approachable now, but should age effortlessly for 30+ years.

VM 96 (6/2014): What a difference a year makes. The 2007 Maya is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Sexy and racy to the core, the 2007 captures the sensuality of the year in spades. Raspberry jam, white flowers, mint and spices are nicely shaped by silky tannins. Production was tiny, at around 270 cases, partly because 2007 is the vintage in which Dalla Valle introduced their second wine, Collina Dalla Valle. It's great to see Maya back on track after the less than stellar 2006.

VM 94 (5/2010): (includes 30% cabernet franc) Good full ruby-red; brighter than the Napa Valley bottling. Darker, impressively vibrant aromas of blueberry, boysenberry, violet and licorice. A step up in density and verve; quite young today but this really saturates and perfumes the palate. Spreads out and echoes impressively on the very long, subtle back end, where the tannins are currently hidden by bright fruit. I never would have guessed this wine was carrying 15% alcohol. Incidentally, the 2002 Maya was the last vintage from the old plantings; Dalla Valle skipped 2003 and 2004 and then restarted with 2005.

2010

Maya Proprietary Blend

Nicked Label

$349

WA 98+ (10/2013): The 2010 Maya is a less evolved, more backward, brooding wine with a dense opaque blue/purple color, explosive richness, and abundant notes of incense, camphor, charcoal, blackberries, blueberries and hints of violets and forest floor. Full-bodied, pure, deep, structured and powerful, this massive Maya comes across as even bigger and richer than the 2009. Forget it for 3-5 years and drink it over the following 30+ years.

VM 96+ (6/2013): (two-thirds cabernet sauvignon and one-third cab franc): Deep, bright ruby. Crushed blueberry and violet on the perfumed nose. Densely packed and wonderfully aromatic, with terrific floral lift to the sharply delineated dark berry flavors. Almost painful in the early going, but has great energy and class. Finishes with big, broad tannins and Outstanding vibrating persistence. Should turn out to be one of the monuments of the vintage. I've long been a sucker for cabernet franc from this red volcanic soil on the eastern hillside above Oakville.

2011

Maya Proprietary Blend

$279

VM 94 (6/2014): One of the wines of this challenging Napa Valley harvest, the 2011 Maya is impressive. Textural beauty is front and center, but it will be at least another few years before the aromas and flavors start to show the full breadth of complexity and nuance that has always been present in barrel. The deep, intense finish is simply dazzling in a magnificent Maya that should drink well for many, many years.

VM 93+ (5/2014): (65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% cabernet franc): Bright ruby-red. Higher-pitched on the nose than the cabernet bottling and tighter today, offering hints of dark berries, violet, minerals and licorice. Then big, rich and mouthfilling, conveying a texture of liquid silk and a powerful impression of the site's red soil. Saline mocha and graphite flavors display terrific definition and underlying spine. Finishes with substantial building, sweet tannins and Outstanding length. Zero impression of underripeness here. This classy, highly concentrated wine may yet merit an even higher score. An exciting 2011.

2020

Maya Proprietary Blend

$300

WA 97 (3/2023): Perhaps there's a subtle added touch of leafy complexity to the 2020 Maya that the Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't show, but otherwise, this 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is reasonably similar, with black cherries, dark loamy notes, hints of cassis, cedar and vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, richly textured and tannic but with a slightly open-knit feel and a ripe, softly wooly finish.

JD 96+ (2/2023): Even better, the 2020 Maya Proprietary Red Wine checks in as the usual blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, and it's another full-bodied example of this cuvée that has a brilliant core of both red and black fruits as well as dark chocolate, leafy tobacco, spring flowers, and a kiss of chalky minerality. Structured, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it doesn't get any better in 2020.

2022

Maya Proprietary Blend

$495

JD 97 (1/2025): Moving to the 2022 Maya, it's the first year since 1989 that has this cuvée includes more Cabernet Franc than Cabernet Sauvignon. (It's 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in 75% new barrels.) A fabulous nose of darker currants, leafy herbs, violets, camphor, new leather, and flower notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, polished mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a brilliant finish.

VM 97 (12/2024): The 2022 Maya is a rare Maya that is Cabernet Franc-driven, the first since 1989 with a similar blend. Pliant and layered, the 2022 is sublime. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and espresso all build in the glass. A remarkable wine, Maya may very well turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage. It is certainly one of my favorites at this stage and a clear front-runner. Antonio Galloni.

WA 96+ (2/2025): Dalla Valle's 2022 Maya is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, dominated on the nose by scents of dark chocolate and black cherries, plus vaguely leafy notions and hints of dried spices. Tannic and taut, in obvious need of cellaring, this medium to full-bodied wine's tannins are not as deep or richly textural as they can be (as in the 2021, for example), but they remain impressive; and the finish exhibits superb length. The winery's Cabernet Sauvignon is more flattering to taste now, while the Maya may surpass it in time.