2021 Dalla Valle Vineyards, Maya, Napa Valley, California, USA

The 2021 Maya is young, but so promising. A wine of density and stature, the 2021 offers striking vertical depth, with bright acids and plenty of tannin. All the elements are so well balanced. Intense red fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and cedar all meld together, but it is the whole rather than the sum of parts that is most impressive here. A blast of vibrant fruit explodes through to the finish. Unforgettable.

Drink 2028 - 2051

Deep, dark-fruited character with plums, blackberries, chocolate and walnuts. Full-bodied, textural and velvety, with succulence and depth to its fruit. Structured, wide and super refined with a long, encompassing finish. It’s well integrated and balanced with a lively freshness, yet it needs some time.

Drink 2027

Full bottle 1,474 g. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc. 750 cases produced.

Very deep purple. Sweeter and fuller than the regular bottling, even though there is more Cab Franc. Richer and more concentrated. More set for the long term but I’m not sure I’m enjoying it any more. Not to be drunk for quite a while! A massive charge of ripe tannins.

Drink 2027 - 2045

Kicks off with bitter black chocolate, touches of aniseed and fennel, intense and muscular, takes a beat before the aromatics begin to overlay the powerful black cherry and damson fruits, but they are here, subtle campfire smoke, cold ash, crushed rose petals and liqourice. Great stuff from winemaker Maya Dalle Valle, consultant winemaker Andy Erickson.

Drink 2026 - 2042

Simply a wonderful wine, the 2021 Maya oozes class, with deep, complex aromas of violets and cassis, earthy loam and hints of tobacco and mint. It's just medium to full-bodied, cool, silky and finessed. Supremely elegant but concentrated, just reined in, restrained. She's the "perfect" girl, the one so special a younger me would be afraid to ask out. The current me is married, so... I'll just sit here and drink it in. Readers should drink it in too. All of it, from the upfront fruit to the lingering, savory finish. While approachable now, this wine should continue to drink well for two decades or more.

Drink 2025 - 2045

The 2021 Maya, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It sails out with graceful notes of violets, fresh blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles giving way to wafts of pencil shavings and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, with fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and fragrant.

Drink 20