2014 Maya

The 2014s from Dalla Valle are magnificent. They are among the 2014s that were showy from barrel and that subsequently closed down after bottling. Today, they show all the promise I saw at the outset.

Naoko Della Valle's 2013s are just as compelling as they have always been. The wines are ample and dramatic, two qualities that encapsulate the personality of this site in eastern Oakville. Fans of the estate can look to the more approachable 2014s for medium-term drinking, as the 2013s are likely to require quite a bit of time to unwind. In 2014, the Maya has much less Cabernet Franc than has historically been the norm, while the Collina is distinctly Cabernet Franc influenced. I also tasted a number of 2015s from separate lots that had not been blended yet. Those barrel samples point to another successful vintage for this reference-point estate. A recent chance encounter with the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon was a poignant reminder of just how special these wines can be.

My most recent tasting at Dalla Valle was memorable, as I had a chance to revisit the 2012s along with catching up with the 2013s and 2014s. Proprietor Naoko Dalla Valle and winemaker Andy Erickson are on a roll. The 2012s are stratospheric in their beauty, and I am saying that as someone who is not a huge fan of the vintage. But the 2012s here simply won't be denied. These are utterly magical wines. The 2013s and 2014s are all shaping up to be superb. Readers will have a great time comparing the wines from these three important Dalla Valle vintages for the next 20+ years. Since 2013, Erickson has begun to move pick dates up slightly in order to catch more freshness and energy in the wines. Dalla Valle fans will note the addition of a new wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon MDV, which emerges from the Maya Cabernet Sauvignon blocks and carries the initials of Naoko Dalla Valle's daughter, Maya, who is currently working at Chateau Latour. Made only once before in the estate's history (1999), the 2013 MDV is shaping up to be terrific. Early signs point to the 2014 being bottled as well. The two samples I tasted of the 2015 look good so far, although yields are down 30% and there will therefore be less wine to go around. Once again, the Collina Dalla Valle, the estate's second wine, is one of the best wines in its price range. Naoko Dalla Valle told me she is hesitant to raise the price. "After all, wines are for drinking," she adds. I have said it before, but I will say it again. In a region full of big personalities and big egos, Naoko Dalla Valle cuts a decidedly un-Napa Valley-like figure with her understated, elegant demeanor. But then again, she doesn't really need to say or do anything. It's all right there, in the glass.