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Dalla Valle Maya 1996, Napa Valley, USA

$ 1,100.00

MAYA 1996

Maya was destined to be a winemaker. In 1986, the year she was conceived, her parents, Naoko and Gustav, made their first vintage of estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The following year—the year she was born—they planted Maya’s Vineyard, a 5-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon that has become one of the most revered winegrowing sites in America. In 1992, this remarkable vineyard yielded a wine that would go on to earn Dalla Valle’s first perfect 100-point score from legendary critic Robert Parker. Growing up at Dalla Valle in the company of winemakers like Heidi Barrett, Tony Soter and Mia Klein infused Maya’s formative years with a sense of place and purpose that has come to define her adult life.

Winemaker Notes

Deep, dense violet to garnet red in color. Aromas come through as more advanced with hints of licorice, black cherry, and violets. Well-melded flavors of licorice, tannins more moderate, great mouth feel with great integration. Very young and very alive; full of energy and fresh, good acidity. The alcohol structure is more velvety with good glycerin levels. Juicy with good pronounced texture.

Critical Acclaim

RP96 – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 1996 Maya is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Vivid, intense aromas of new saddle leather, plums, black currants, underbrush, and licorice are followed by a full-bodied, sensationally concentrated wine with sweet tannin, a deep, exceptionally pure and concentrated mid-palate, and an opulently-textured finish. It was surprisingly open-knit and delicious when tasted in October, but there is more tannin lurking beneath the surface. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2025.

WS92 – Wine Spectator

Bold, ripe and generous. Dark in color, this is very rich and concentrated without being heavy. The flavors are built around ripe blackberry, cherry, mineral and herbal sage notes. Ends with a complex aftertaste and firm but ripe tannins. Easily the best of three bottles.