Oakville AVA tasting (67 Pall Mall): I liked the Dalla Valle wines - a little rough round the edges and characterful, which was a tonic in a room full of polish and gloss. This has around 20% cab franc in the blend and it has a marked impact: violet, rose and a hint of green leafy notes provide interest and complexity. Some sweet spice and sweet dark fruits- cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant- which just about stay away from being jammy. Some grain to the tannins still, ample acidity and it's still mostly primary - so you'd bet on this continuing to develop very nicely.
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Fruit bomb. Hedonistic and delicious but ripe fruit is dominant over acid, tannin, and any secondary characteristics. Decanted for two hours through a coffee filter with moderate sediment removed.
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This is an excellent wine. A bit young so prepare to decant a few hours. It has power to it that will round out with time. Very enjoyable now but definitely potential to be better.
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This is confirming my previous tasting note...this wine is absolutely gorgeous. In 5 words: Intense, complex, long, deep and sexy as hell Can't wait to taste the 2018.
Dark ruby fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and some blueberry. Really smooth mid-palate with a beautiful purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, cassis, cocoa, and a graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for three hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. A nice wine - no surprise of the 97 rating from WA. 83% cab sauvignon and 17% cab franc.
Another bottle, and this will be my last one for a while(request from wife to open for her birthday, hopefully, it will not be same request every year or I will be out very quickly!) This is one of those wines where you think to yourself, I should have bought more, even though a hefty price tag it is worth every $. This is for sure one of the top wines of Napa. With dark fruit, crushed florals, potting soil, cigar box and black pepper, the palate is powerful yet so wonderful structured with energy and persistence that channels that wonderful dark berry primary fruit on a wave of dried herbs, mineral sparks and chocolate notes. The tannins are finely grained and beautifully structured leading to a long finish. This is one of these wines I hope to enjoy over the next 20 years. Now let us hope I can hold off for the next 5 years.
What power at this price point. Incredible and dense nose. Blackfruit power. Currant, blackberry. Consistent in the pallet. Smidge of vanilla and mint to round it out. Endless finish. Excellently put together!
So far 99 but I am pretty sure I will upgrade this on my next glass/bottle (just want to make sure). Coravined 1 glass! "It's rich, powerful and concentrated, yet also elegant, with silky tannins and a finish where its class shows clearly." Jeb described it perfectly. In awe with this wine and it's not even a "Maya". So delicious, so yummy, so thick and yet so smooth and well integrated in all senses...! And what a finish!!.... 2016, really??
11/26 Just finished the bottle and as expected upgraded it to 100. Wine is just perfect to me...
Wow, what a wine. First of all, I need to say that I've never given a perfect score to a wine, even though a few could have easily gotten it and I'm thinking about Petrus 1998, Dominus 1991, Palmer 1961, Leroy Les Beaux Monts 1994 or the fabulous Martha's vineyard 1969...but it's the Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 that received my first 100-point score.
The wine has a deep and very young coulour and offers a wonderful, refined and laser focused nose of black berries, black cherries, blueberries, rosemary, thyme and well integrated secondary aromas of toast and sweet Tahitian vanilla. The purity of the fruit is exceptional and intensified by a refreshing acidity. The balance and tannic structure are perfect and once again very refined - masculine but extremely refined, very deep and layered. This is Roger Moore or any of your favourite James Bond at its prime wearing a tux and ready to shoot their Walther PPK! The perfect mix of tension and richness. Of course you won't be surprised to hear that the finish was very long...Enjoy over the next 30+ years...and buy if you can find a bottle.
Tonight, it was the WOTN and finished just ahead of the Dana Estate Lotus 2017 (my ranking)...another super impressive Cabernet.
Very similar to previous tasting note, not a lot more I can say but wow! This is up there as one of the best young Napa Cabernets I have tasted. So well textured and balance. This is such a complete wine. Beautiful nose with aromas of dark cherries, cassis, pepper, the palate is lush and layered with textured notes of dark ripe fruit, black olive tapenade savory underlining with finely grained tannins and a focused and layered finish. BOOM!
Sensational Napa cab. This 2016 Dalla Valle needed 90 mins of bottle air to open up. The wine presented a mesmerizing nose of vivid red and black fruit, vanilla, sweet graphite, and seabreeze. Those same elements were present through the palate along with subtle chalky tannins and a haunting mint note. This is a sublime expression of first-rate winemaking and a new reference point for me for Napa cabernet. I suspect the 2016 Dalla Valle will be a 100 pt wine next time I open a bottle.
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Absolutely phenomenal, so elegant and complete. This makes you re-think what you know about Napa Cabernets. Aromas of dark red cherries, blackberries, cassis, floral components, bay leaves, cigar box, espresso and potting soil. The palate was rich and powerful with refined silky tannins, lush dark fruit, crushed stones, with a long, layered and elegant finish. Consistently evolving in the glass. Drink now over the next 20 years.
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1/6/2024 - JGinMO wrote: 94 Points
Exceptional balance, in no way a bruising fruit bomb, but emerging secondary flavors and long finish. Felt lucky to enjoy it.
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9/22/2023 - MariusA Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a crowd pleaser.
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7/30/2023 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with Badmonkey's note.
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5/11/2023 - Joshvoulters Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oakville AVA tasting (67 Pall Mall): I liked the Dalla Valle wines - a little rough round the edges and characterful, which was a tonic in a room full of polish and gloss. This has around 20% cab franc in the blend and it has a marked impact: violet, rose and a hint of green leafy notes provide interest and complexity. Some sweet spice and sweet dark fruits- cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant- which just about stay away from being jammy. Some grain to the tannins still, ample acidity and it's still mostly primary - so you'd bet on this continuing to develop very nicely.
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8/28/2022 - Jaws4096 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fruit bomb. Hedonistic and delicious but ripe fruit is dominant over acid, tannin, and any secondary characteristics. Decanted for two hours through a coffee filter with moderate sediment removed.
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10/13/2021 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an excellent wine. A bit young so prepare to decant a few hours. It has power to it that will round out with time. Very enjoyable now but definitely potential to be better.
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9/30/2021 - Francois Le Mouel wrote: 100 Points
This is confirming my previous tasting note...this wine is absolutely gorgeous. In 5 words: Intense, complex, long, deep and sexy as hell Can't wait to taste the 2018.
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6/26/2021 - Badmonkey wrote: 96 Points
Dark ruby fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and some blueberry. Really smooth mid-palate with a beautiful purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, cassis, cocoa, and a graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for three hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. A nice wine - no surprise of the 97 rating from WA. 83% cab sauvignon and 17% cab franc.
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5/6/2021 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 99 Points
Another bottle, and this will be my last one for a while(request from wife to open for her birthday, hopefully, it will not be same request every year or I will be out very quickly!) This is one of those wines where you think to yourself, I should have bought more, even though a hefty price tag it is worth every $. This is for sure one of the top wines of Napa. With dark fruit, crushed florals, potting soil, cigar box and black pepper, the palate is powerful yet so wonderful structured with energy and persistence that channels that wonderful dark berry primary fruit on a wave of dried herbs, mineral sparks and chocolate notes. The tannins are finely grained and beautifully structured leading to a long finish. This is one of these wines I hope to enjoy over the next 20 years. Now let us hope I can hold off for the next 5 years.
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4/16/2021 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
What power at this price point. Incredible and dense nose. Blackfruit power. Currant, blackberry.
Consistent in the pallet. Smidge of vanilla and mint to round it out. Endless finish. Excellently put together!
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11/10/2020 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 100 Points
So far 99 but I am pretty sure I will upgrade this on my next glass/bottle (just want to make sure). Coravined 1 glass! "It's rich, powerful and concentrated, yet also elegant, with silky tannins and a finish where its class shows clearly." Jeb described it perfectly. In awe with this wine and it's not even a "Maya". So delicious, so yummy, so thick and yet so smooth and well integrated in all senses...! And what a finish!!.... 2016, really??
11/26 Just finished the bottle and as expected upgraded it to 100. Wine is just perfect to me...
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11/7/2020 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wow, what a wine. First of all, I need to say that I've never given a perfect score to a wine, even though a few could have easily gotten it and I'm thinking about Petrus 1998, Dominus 1991, Palmer 1961, Leroy Les Beaux Monts 1994 or the fabulous Martha's vineyard 1969...but it's the Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 that received my first 100-point score.
The wine has a deep and very young coulour and offers a wonderful, refined and laser focused nose of black berries, black cherries, blueberries, rosemary, thyme and well integrated secondary aromas of toast and sweet Tahitian vanilla. The purity of the fruit is exceptional and intensified by a refreshing acidity. The balance and tannic structure are perfect and once again very refined - masculine but extremely refined, very deep and layered. This is Roger Moore or any of your favourite James Bond at its prime wearing a tux and ready to shoot their Walther PPK! The perfect mix of tension and richness. Of course you won't be surprised to hear that the finish was very long...Enjoy over the next 30+ years...and buy if you can find a bottle.
Tonight, it was the WOTN and finished just ahead of the Dana Estate Lotus 2017 (my ranking)...another super impressive Cabernet.
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11/6/2020 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 99 Points
Very similar to previous tasting note, not a lot more I can say but wow! This is up there as one of the best young Napa Cabernets I have tasted. So well textured and balance. This is such a complete wine. Beautiful nose with aromas of dark cherries, cassis, pepper, the palate is lush and layered with textured notes of dark ripe fruit, black olive tapenade savory underlining with finely grained tannins and a focused and layered finish. BOOM!
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5/16/2020 - cab_fran Likes this wine: 99 Points
Sensational Napa cab. This 2016 Dalla Valle needed 90 mins of bottle air to open up. The wine presented a mesmerizing nose of vivid red and black fruit, vanilla, sweet graphite, and seabreeze. Those same elements were present through the palate along with subtle chalky tannins and a haunting mint note. This is a sublime expression of first-rate winemaking and a new reference point for me for Napa cabernet. I suspect the 2016 Dalla Valle will be a 100 pt wine next time I open a bottle.
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2/21/2020 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely phenomenal, so elegant and complete. This makes you re-think what you know about Napa Cabernets. Aromas of dark red cherries, blackberries, cassis, floral components, bay leaves, cigar box, espresso and potting soil. The palate was rich and powerful with refined silky tannins, lush dark fruit, crushed stones, with a long, layered and elegant finish. Consistently evolving in the glass. Drink now over the next 20 years.
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11/26/2019 - AWBryce wrote:
rich and good depth, seamless mouthfeel, long finish
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