Dalla Valle 2020 “Maya” Bordeaux Blend Estate, Oakville Napa Valley 99 Points

99 Points Decanter: “Fragrant and so scented on the nose, inviting and cool. The classic blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc is smooth and supple on the palate, crisp and crunchy yet smooth and silky and also slightly chewy and bouncy. A lovey combination of power and focus, this has drive and sculpt, nuance and detail. Excellent presentation, really fills the palate with juice, energy brightness. Lovely length and overall structure, fels well worked, full but not overpowering, rich but not overly alcoholic – a wonderful presentation and totally delicious. Winemakers Naoko Dalla Valle and Andy Erickson.”

97 Robert Parker: “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”

Winery Notes: “he 2020 Maya exudes confidence and elegance from the first sip. It is a classic Maya blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, the core coming from “Maya’s Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon always blended with carefully chosen Cabernet Franc lots to harmonize and bring lift to the energetic qualities of the Cabernet Sauvignon. An exquisite symphony of frankincense, clove, and cedar jump from the glass in the beginning, then subtle fruit notes of rainier cherries and lingonberries meld together both on the nose and continue on the palate. The classic silky yet firm tannins leave a prolonged weight leading to a long finish. “