Dalla ValleCabernet Sauvignon 2021

2021 is what the Dalla Valle team called “a classic drought vintage,” a reference to the new normal of Napa Valley. They’re quick to highlight the assets this low rain accumulation provided in the wine, primarily smaller yields and amazing concentration. The wine was handled delicately through fermentation and aging to allow the natural elements of terroir to shine through in this powerful wine. The 2021 is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc and saw 24 months of aging. There is remarkable tension here—an intense dark fruit core with notes of dark chocolate, toasted cardamom and pencil shaving matched with incredible elegance, fine tannin, and a long finish. 

Dalla Valle Vineyards overlooks the Napa Valley floor from a hillside terrace 500 feet above the Silverado Trail in Oakville. Since Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle purchased the property in 1982 (just before their daughter Maya was born) and began planting vines, this exceptional acreage has continually distinguished itself as the ideal site for producing some of the world’s finest wines, thanks to the perfect convergence of lingering sunlight, cooling marine influence and red volcanic soil. Now in her 30s, Maya leads the winemaking, having refined her skills at top Bordeaux estates. Although Dalla Valle has long been a standout, Maya is brilliantly guiding the estate into its next chapter.