Maya Proprietary Red Wine 2017 Dalla Valle

Tasting Note Maya Proprietary Red Wine 2017

Aromas of blackcurrants and dark cherries dominate, with subtle hints of violets in the background, underpinned by cedar notes and a savoury, iron-like edge. The Maya 2017 is concentrated on the palate but not heavy. The tannins are well-ripened and fine-grained. The finish reveals notes of graphite and dried herbs, with Cabernet Franc providing a long, lingering aftertaste. The hot weather of that year is reflected more in the fruit's sweetness than in body. The tannins still have room to soften.

Grape Varieties

Maya 2017 is built from:

• 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, the backbone, cassis and firm tannin
• 33% Cabernet Franc, which brings the violet perfume and a lighter, herb-edged lift

A third Cabernet Franc is high for Napa Valley. That share is why Maya reads richer and more floral than Dalla Valle's straight Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cellaring Potential

Best enjoyed between 2021 and 2045. Tannin and concentration carry it. Decant an hour while young, less as it ages, and serve at 16 to 18°C.

About Dalla Valle

Dalla Valle sits above the Oakville valley floor, on a plateau on the east side of Napa Valley, where the subsoil is iron-rich volcanic rock mixed with clay and ancient stone. Roughly 8 hectares surround the family home and winery, split into 18 plots farmed separately, season by season, on biodynamic principles. Small, then, for such a well-known name. Naoko and Gustav Dalla Valle arrived in 1982 and made a first Cabernet from young vines in 1986; Maya, named after their daughter, followed in 1989. After Gustav died in the mid-1990s, Naoko replanted much of the vineyard herself. Plantings run to 68 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Cabernet Franc (high for Napa) and 2 percent Petit Verdot. Cellar decisions are made by tasting. And there is no tasting room, since the estate cannot receive visitors.

Terroir & Climate

Napa Valley's east side, in the Vaca Mountains foothills. The subsoil here is iron-rich volcanic material threaded with clay and ancient stone. Unusual for Oakville. Heat accumulates differently up here than on the valley floor, so each block ripens on its own schedule. Sun and wind reach the vines in equal measure on the gently rising plateau. What lands in the glass is depth of colour, firm structure, and that savoury mineral streak.

Winemaking

Dalla Valle is blunt about how the work in the cellar works: the call is made by tasting. Lab numbers exist and get used, but as a check, not a rulebook. After harvest each barrel is treated as its own case. The aim is not to redirect Maya, but to bring it to the profile already set at picking. Small volumes, more Cabernet Franc than the estate's other reds, and a team that has watched the same eighteen blocks for decades.

Food Pairing

The fine yet firm tannins call for rich fat and charcoal-grilled aromas. A ribeye grilled over oak charcoal is the surest choice; the moment the melting beef fat touches the tannins, it softens them. Rack of lamb with rosemary brings out the umami and herbal notes of Maya. Duck breast is also a great match, as the Cabernet Franc lift cuts through the richness of the skin cleanly. Aged Cheddar: Umami that contrasts with the tannins.