Dalle Valle 2023 Maya Proprietary Red, Napa Valley

Dalla Valle is an Oakville icon made by Napa winemaking legend Andy Erickson and internationally renowned consulting enologist Michel Rolland and the Maya is their sought-after flagship wine. Extremely limited.

99 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The Dalla Valle 2023 Maya is two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Cabernet Franc matured in 75% new French oak with a tiny proportion kept in amphora. It starts off gently leafy and floral then builds to a crescendo of dark fruit—black cherries blackberries and cassis—with hints of cedar and vanilla. Medium- to full-bodied it's concentrated and rich without any sense of weightiness instead showing great length and freshness culminating in a long velvety and mouthwatering finish. Am I being stingy? Set up a comparison of this and the 2021 and let's see...This year Naoko and Maya Dalla Valle were both on hand for my visit to their gorgeous eastern Oakville property presenting the bottled 2023s. It was the first year in the renovated winery said Maya with harvesting taking place between September 26 and October 16. "After ’20 ’21 and ’22 ’23 was a breath of fresh air" Maya said. Roughly one-third of the ferments were done in concrete tanks for the first time which Maya said meant less reduction and better temperature stability. And while she said the larger crop tested the new winery's capacity she's happy with the results. "It was a great vintage" she said. It proved impossible for me to choose a favorite between the 2023 Maya (two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Cabernet Franc) and MDV (all Cabernet Sauvignon). The two form a wonderfully complementary duo this year with Maya showing more elegance and complexity and MDV expressing more power and texture. Published: May 07 2026."

100 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2023 Maya brings the same intensity as the Cabernet Sauvignon yet with another sense of elegance offering notes of cassis black cherries graphite crushed stone and chalky minerality. Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc and aging 23 months in 80% new French oak it's full-bodied and beautifully balanced with no hard edges and ultra-fine tannins. This is a heavenly layered gorgeous wine that has perfection written all over it."

98 Points Vinous: "The Dalla Valle 2023 Maya is without question one of the wines of the vintage. What a wine. Silky aromatic and exceptionally finessed the 2023 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. I have never tasted a young Maya with this much textural finesse and sheer polish. Floral Franc overtones open first followed by crushed red-toned fruit mocha cinnamon cedar and new leather. All the elements are so well balanced. (Drink between 2028-2045)."

The 2023 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.

Founded in 1982 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, Dalla Valle produces high quality red wines in Napa. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon dense wine filled with blackcurrants and earth. Rich and round and drinking well on release but can be held for years.