### Dalla Valle Maya: A Complete Retrospective 1988-2012

Dalla Valle's Maya is one of Napa Valley’s most iconic wines. This complete vertical back to the inaugural 1988 is a poignant reminder of just how trailblazing Maya was back in the 1980s and 1990s. At the same time, though, Maya is timeless and enduring in its beauty.

Naoko Dalla Valle and her husband Gustav purchased their estate in 1982. The sunny, well-exposed property reminded Gustav Dalla Valle of his native Italy. Dalle Valle is located about mid-slope on the eastern side of Oakville in what is now recognized as one of the pockets of true excellence within Napa Valley. Pedregal, Weitz, Backus, Peter Michael’s Au Paradis and Oakville Terrace are some of the sites that surround Dalla Valle. Sadly, Gustav Dalla Valle passed away in 1995, but he left behind a rich legacy that even he probably could not have envisaged. Today, the winery is run by Naoko Dalla Valle with the assistance of Winemaker Andy Erickson.

Dalla Valle is known for intense, red, clay-rich soils that are typical in this part of Oakville. The concept of Napa Valley terroir is much more developed today than it was thirty years ago. Dalla Valle and the sites around it were originally part of Pritchard Hill, which is directly above. Time and erosion created the ridges where Dalla Valle and other nearby vineyards now sit, as well as parts of the estates that lie below, just across the Silverado Trail, including Screaming Eagle, Rudd and St. Eden, where the same red soils are found.

Vineyards were first planted between 1984 and 1987. Production began with two wines; a Cabernet Sauvignon and Maya, a groundbreaking Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend named after the Dalla Valle's daughter. From 1988 to 2002 Maya was a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, with the exception of 1989, when the percentages were reversed. Although Cabernet Franc is now a very popular variety in Napa Valley and around the world, that was certainly not the case in the early 1980s. Over the years a series of vine diseases took a heavy toll on production and required a total replanting. As a result, Dalla Valle did not bottle Maya in 2003 or 2004. Maya returned with the 2005 vintage, but with a bit less Cabernet Franc as replanted vineyards gradually re-entered production.

Heidi Barrett made the wines from 1988 to 1994. Green harvesting was introduced in 1990 as Dalle Valle gradually moved to a riper style. Tony Soter joined in 1995 and then gradually handed the reigns over to Mia Klein, who remained at Dalla Valle through 2005. Philippe Melka was in charge for 2006, his one and only vintage at Dalla Valle. Current winemaker Andy Erickson arrived in 2007. Today, Maya is often made with longer periods of skin contact than at the outset, while barrel aging and blending are more flexible. Long-term stability with regards to winemaking and the introduction of a second wine, Collina Dalla Valle, also in 2007, are two of the biggest reasons why Dalla Valle’s dual flagships, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Maya, are consistently better today than they have ever been.

_![](https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1401988851346-MayaCF.jpg)_

_The Maya Cabernet Franc blocks. The deeply-colored, red soils are typical of the east side of Oakville._

Sweet tobacco, licorice, new leather, smoke and savory herbs meld together in the **1988 Maya**. Now fully developed in its bouquet, the 1988 still has more than enough fruit and density to drink well for a handful of years, although I wouldn't push my luck. Dried orange peel, tobacco and wild flowers take on mature, Barolo-like overtones on the finish. **90** /Drinking window: 2014-2018. The **1989 Maya** is a real stunner. Still deeply colored and intense, the 1989 boasts fabulous richness and pure power. Plums, black cherries, violets, cloves and new leather are some of the many notes that meld together in the glass. Today, the 1989 is in a sweet spot of total sensory pleasure. There is plenty of depth in the fruit, while the aromatics retain incredible freshness for a wine of its age. This is a fabulous showing made all the more remarkable considering 1989 was never a highly regarded vintage. **96** /Drinking window: 2014-2024.

The **1990 Maya** boasts serious depth and intensity. Incredibly, the 1990 remains youthful, deep and concentrated, with frankly little in the way of aromatic development. Only one question remains. When will the 1990 Maya peak? A wine for the ages, the 1990 is a real stunner. **97** /Drinking window: 2014-2024. The **1991 Maya** is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years, as the aromatics are starting to enter a fully tertiary phase of their development. Sweet tobacco, leather, pine and menthol all linger on the silky, expressive finish. The 1991 isn't the most powerful Maya, but it is among the most refined and polished. **94** /Drinking window: 2014-2021.

Racy and succulent to the core, the **1992 Maya** impresses for its sheer depth. Black stone fruits, cloves, menthol, smoke and incense are some of the many notes that flesh out in a dramatic Maya endowed with tons of volume and equally intense tannins that ensure at least another handful of years of very fine drinking. The 1992 is a wine of pure texture and density. This is a great early Maya. **95** /Drinking window: 2014-2021. Today the **1993 Maya** comes across as a bit rough around the edges. The fruit struggles to emerge in a Maya that is compact and not fully expressive. Forward aromas and flavors suggest the 1993 is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. I imagine the 1993 would show better in most other settings, but here, surrounded by a bevy of epic vintages, its strengths and weaknesses are evident. **92** /Drinking window: 2014-2016.

A rich, dense wine, the **1994** Maya hits the palate with an exotic melange of dark cherry, smoke, plum, melted road tar and orange zest. This is one of the more obviously ripe, opulent wines among the early Mayas, but all the elements are in the right place. A decidedly flashy Maya, the 1994 will drink well for another decade or more. What a gorgeous wine this is. **95** /Drinking window: 2014-2024. The **1995 Maya** is a bit like the 1991 in that the aromas are maturing, while the fruit retains a very classic sense of Maya breadth. Sweet tobacco, cedar, incense, dried flowers and worn-in leather add nuance to the resonant finish. The 1995 has enough depth to drink well for at least another handful of years, but I wouldn't push my luck too much beyond that. At this point, it is pretty clear the tannins are always going to retain an element of firmness. **94** /Drinking window: 2014-2019.

![](https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1401988913007-MayaHarvest.jpg)

_Getting ready for harvest, fall 2012._

The **1996** is a small-scaled **Maya**. All the signatures are in place, but in miniature. Sweet tobacco, savory herbs, licorice, menthol and leather add complexity over time, but the 1996 remains a mid-weight wine with only modest concentration within the context of Maya. Lovely, expressive aromatics grace the finish. The 1996 is quite pretty and delicate, but it won't last forever. This is a Maya built on understatement and pure finesse. **93** /Drinking window: 2014-2019. Menthol, sweet tobacco, licorice, dried cherries and incense are some of the notes that inform the **1997 Maya**. Soft, silky tannins support the finish in a decidedly forward wine that needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later. **88** /Drinking window: 2014-2017.

One of the biggest revelations in this tasting, the **1998 Maya** is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Expressive aromatics lift from the glass, followed by small red berries, pine, menthol and leather. The 1998 is all about detail. What a wonderful surprise the 1998 Maya has turned out to be. There is also little doubt the 1998, from a poorly regarded vintage, has handled time with far more grace than the 1997. **94** /Drinking window: 2014-2020. A wine of pure density and power, the **1999 Maya** opens up gradually in the glass. Even with quite a bit of air, though, the 1999 remains big and burly. There is plenty of depth and texture in the glass, but less in the way of finesse. Mocha, spice, dark-hued fruit and imposing, coarse tannins mark the finish. It is fascinating to taste the 1999 Maya next to the pure Cabernet Sauvignon Maya, as the Cabernet Sauvignon alone shows better balance than the Maya itself. **93** /Drinking window: 2014-2021.

![](https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1401989058699-MayaMaya.jpg)

_The Cabernet Sauvignon Maya was made just once, in 1999_

In 1999 Naoko Dalla Valle made a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from her Maya blocks as special bottling that was sold in a charity auction and never commercially released. The **1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya** possesses striking nuance, clarity and delineation from start to finish. Freshly cut flowers, dark red stone fruits, mint and crushed rocks all jump from the glass. The pedigree and sheer profoundness of this great Oakville site comes through in a wine that captivates all the senses with an interplay of aromas and flavors that dazzles. What a pleasure and privilege it is to taste this utterly magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted next to the Maya, the Cabernet Sauvignon Maya comes across as more complex. Historically, Dalla Valle has been considered a great site for the Cabernet Franc that is such a big part of Maya, but tasting the Cabernet Sauvignon inevitably leads to a simple question: What if it is the Maya blocks that are profound, more so than the Cabernet Franc itself? So far, 1999 is the only vintage in which Dalla Valle has produced a Cabernet Sauvignon Maya. Even today, the 1999 is flat-out stunning. **97** /Drinking window: 2014-2024.

A seamless, layered wine, the **2000 Maya** is all about texture. Silky and polished to the core, the 2000 is open and totally seductive today. All of the Maya signatures are in place in a wine that emphasizes finesse over sheer size. **95** /Drinking window: 2014-2024. The **2001 Maya** brings together many of the best elements of this site in a typical expression of the year. Black cherry, plum, smoke and tobacco all flesh out in a super-inviting wine with superb depth and tons of structure. The firm tannins will reward at least another decade of cellaring, although the super-ripe, opulent fruit is incredibly appealing today. The full-bodied, brooding finish is not lacking in either intensity or depth. **96** /Drinking window: 2014-2026. Rich, ripe and explosive, the **2002 Maya** emerges from the glass with layers of dark, voluptuous fruit. There is plenty going on in the glass, although today the 2002 isn't as expressive as it was when I last tasted it, about two years ago. Dark raspberry jam, cloves, mint and flowers are layered into the finish with substantial weight and silkiness. This is one of the great vintages of Maya, and, as it turns out, the last Maya made until 2005. **96+** /Drinking window: 2014-2027.

The **2005 Maya** is gorgeous, layered and beautifully expressive in the glass. Overall, the 2005 is a relatively mid-weight Maya that impresses for its balance and overall sense of harmony. Still quite vibrant, the 2005 will drink well for at least a handful of years to come. Hints of spice, tobacco and new leather flesh out on the finish, adding further dimensions of complexity. **93** /Drinking window: 2014-2025. Surprisingly, the **2006** Maya is quite awkward. The aromas and flavors are muddled and unfocused, while the oak is completely out of balance. I am not sure what happened here - I suspect the reasons are many - but there is no getting around the fact that the 2006 is a weak Maya. **87** /Drinking window: 2014-2018.

![](https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1401989171598-MayaCS.jpg)

_The Maya Cabernet Sauvignon blocks. Cover crop is left at the ends of the rows where vigor is higher to encourage competition._

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. **96** /Drinking window: 2017-2027. After the 2007, the **2008 Maya** comes across as quite bombastic. Black cherry, plum, smoke, new leather and spices all hit the palate in an awkward Maya with more than enough intensity and pure voluptuousness to match its flashy personality. The long and dry season yielded a somewhat obvious, coarse Maya. **94** /Drinking window: 2016-2028.

The **2009 Maya** is an immediate, beautiful, resonant wine that should offer a long drinking window of pure pleasure. Dark red stone fruits, crushed flowers and cinnamon are some of the many notes that grace the striking finish. The 2009 is like the 2007 in its silkiness and red-toned fruit, but with more volume and depth. **97** /Drinking window: 2017-2034. The **2010 Maya** has entered a period of dormancy. Still, it is impossible to miss the huge, imposing structure the wine has always possessed. With some coaxing hints of dark red cherry, plum, mocha, spices, leather and savory herbs begin to emerge, but only with great reluctance. There is plenty of pedigree in the glass, but readers will have to be patient. Winemaker Andy Erickson gave the 2010 26 months in barrel, pretty much unheard of by modern-day Napa Valley standards. The 2010 is shaping up to be one of the all-time great Mayas. **97+** /Drinking window: 2020-2035. 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. **94** /Drinking window: 2017-2031.

With the **2012** vintage **Maya** returns to its typical blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc. Raspberry jam, crushed flowers, espresso and mocha grace the palate in a nuanced, utterly exquisite wine that captures the radiance of the vintage. I imagine the 2012 will delight readers with a long and broad drinking window of pure pleasure. I tasted the 2012 Maya just before bottling, which is scheduled for July or August 2014. **(97-100)**/Drinking window: 2018-2037.

--Antonio Galloni



Dalla Valle Maya: A Complete Retrospective 1988-2012

Dalla Valle Maya: A Complete Retrospective 1988-2012 (June 2014)

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