The 2002 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the June Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for two hours and served with burgers on Memorial Day.
Dalla Valle Vineyards was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, who purchased 21 acres on the east side of Silverado Trail on Oakville Hill. They planted the vineyards to Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and had their first crush in 1986. Dalla Valle produces a Cabernet Sauvignon and a very limited amount of a proprietary red named Maya, after the couple’s daughter. Maya usually contains 45-55% Cabernet Franc, and Robert Parker has written that the finest Cabernet Franc in “the New World is from Dalla Valle’s vineyard.” Though Gustav Dalla Valle died in 1995, Naoko has continued to run the winery.
Dark crimson in color. 13.5% ABV. Prior to smelling the wine it is hard not to notice the fantastic aromas wafting from the decanter and filling the room. Sublime nose of dark fruits, Whitman Sampler box, leather and graphite. Full bodied and perfectly balanced. Power and concentration in spades. Black currants, cassis liqueur, tobacco and smoke on the palate. The finish is long and the tannins are silky. 2002 has always been a great vintage for Dalla Valle and this wine is showing beautifully at 20 years of age. I’ll open my last bottle in 2027.
My rating: 97 points.
Dalla Valle wines are only available via the mailing list. The current vintage runs $175 and will be released later next year.