James Suckling (92-93)

Blackberry, graphite and black-cherry aromas follow through to a full to medium body, creamy tannins and a juicy finish with blackberry, iron and ink.

James Suckling (92-93)

Blackberry, graphite and black-cherry aromas follow through to a full to medium body, creamy tannins and a juicy finish with blackberry, iron and ink.

James Suckling (92-93)

Blackberry, graphite and black-cherry aromas follow through to a full to medium body, creamy tannins and a juicy finish with blackberry, iron and ink.

Jeb Dunnuck (91)

Darker currants, cassis, graphite, and spring flowers define the aromatics of the 2022 Château Dalem. It has a Saint-Émilion-like sense of minerality, a medium to full body, and a layered, pure style that has tons to love. Drink bottles over the coming 15 years or so. I wasn’t able to get the release price, but this wine is almost always a brilliant value.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is in great shape today. Deep, pliant and super expressive, the 2015 is just starting to open. A blast of dark cherry fruit, mocha, licorice and espresso makes a strong opening statement. Still very young, the 2015 will drink well for another decade or more. It's one of the most youthful, vibrant wines of the year. I underestimated this wine and its potential longevity in my original review.

Vinous (94)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon captures all of the radiance of the year in its super-ripe fruit and racy contours. Medium in body yet extravagantly ripe, the 2017 is going to need at least a few years in bottle to shed some baby fat. A rush of dark cherry, plum, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol gives the 2017 much of its immediacy and overall appeal.

Vinous (100)

The 2018 MDV is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the best of the Maya blocks. Inky, rich and explosive, the MDV possesses breathtaking elegance and beauty. Crème de cassis, graphite, lavender, mint and espresso all build in a sumptuous, layered Cabernet Sauvignon that dazzles from start to finish. Sadly, there are just five barrels of this magical Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The Dalla Valles only bottle the MDV in the very best years. Since its first release in 2013, it has become a clear reference point for Eastern Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Advocate (100)

As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.

Wine Advocate (100)

As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

As good as it gets, yet in a different style compared to the also perfect 2016, the 2015 Maya Proprietary Red Wine boasts a sensational, ethereal, heavenly style to go with tons of cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notions of dried earth, tobacco, chocolate, and a beautiful sense of minerality. This cuvée is normally a blend of 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, and it’s the Cabernet Franc that gives it another layer of complexity and elegance. The sexy, upfront nature of the 2015 vintage is front and center. This is a magical wine to drink over the coming 3+ decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2016 Maya offers another level of depth and density and is a truly special, magical wine. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc, it boasts off the chart notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, lead pencil, chocolate, and incense. These all give way to a massively concentrated, rich, and powerful wine that nevertheless stays oh, so seamless, silky and pure, with a finish that goes on for minutes. Utterly profound in every way, this sensational wine hits every high point you could ever set for a glass of wine. it's one of the top 2-3 wines in this report. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

The tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

A smaller production cuvée from a single parcel of the estate vineyard, the 2018 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is the normal 60/40 split of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Incredibly perfumed with complex notes of blue fruits, flowers, loamy earth, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, polished, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. While this is a rich, concentrated wine, it’s the complexity, elegance, and finesse that define this cuvée, which is going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for 2-3 decades.

The Wine Independent (100)

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Maya comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves, and chocolate box, followed by hints of star anise, cardamom, and dusty red soil. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, the tannins are firm yet velvety, while a remarkable burst of freshness lifts the decadent fruit. It finishes with an epically long mineral firework display. Dalla Valle’s Maya comes from a dedicated section of the estate vineyard, located in the valley’s eastern foothills, below Pritchard Hill, and above the Oakville benchlands, overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd vineyard.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is a classic 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in 80% new French oak. Ripe red, blue, and black fruit, graphite, liquid flowers, and a liquid rock-like minerality all shine in this quintessential, layered, regal, majestic 2021. It has awesome purity, full-bodied richness, flawlessly polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a legend in the making, and Napa Valley simply doesn’t get any better. It will take a solid decade for this to hit maturity, and it should have 30+ years of prime drinking thereafter.

Vinous (91)

The 2017 Collina Dalla Valle is plump, juicy and absolutely delicious. Vibrant sweet red fruit and floral notes give the 2017 notable energy as well as verve. In 2017, the Collina is not quite as sensual or curvy as it can be, while the tannins show the nervous edge that so typical of the year. Time in bottle will help at least to some degree. Once again, Dalla Valle overdelivers with the Collina.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Collina Dalla Valle is a flat out gorgeous wine. Racy and sumptuous to the core, the 2018 captures all of the natural radiance of this eastern sector of Oakville. Soft contours and silky tannins make the 2018 an absolute delight to taste today. Readers will have a very hard time finding a Napa Valley wine that delivers this much sheer pleasure for the money.

Vinous (92)

The 2019 Collina Dalla Valle is supple, racy and beautifully perfumed. In 2019, the Franc lends quite a bit of aromatic brilliance. Crushed flowers, kirsch and sweet red berry fruit are all nicely lifted in this very pretty, perfumed red blend from Dalla Valle. The Collina is all class, as it always is. It is also a tremendous value in the world of high-end Napa Valley wines.

Indulge your palate with the prestigious Dame de Bouard 2017, an exemplary display of Bordeaux's finest. This vintage is created by the esteemed Hubert de Bouard, renowned for his winemaking finesse identical to Chateau Angelus. Nestled in the heart of Montagne-Saint-Emilion, each bottle marries the unique terroir with time-honoured traditions.

The Dame de Bouard 2017 harmoniously brings together Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Hand-harvested and carefully vatted, each grape variety reveals its distinctive character—providing a layered and robust wine experience. Aged for 14-18 months in exclusively French oak barrels, its depth of flavour is unrivalled. On the palate, anticipate a medley of dark cherries, cocoa, and tinges of spice.

Dame de Bouard 2017 embodies the quintessence of premium French viticulture. The outcome is a resplendent and powerful wine, promising a velvety texture and enduring finish—an essential addition for connoisseurs and collectors alike.

Wine Advocate (88-90)

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Wine Advocate (88-90)

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Indulge in an exquisite vinous journey with the Dame de Bouard 2021, the epitome of elegance born out of the storied vineyards of Bordeaux in France. Meticulously crafted by the notable de Bouard family, inheritors of the world-renowned Château Angelus, this wine is a testament to their unyielding dedication to quality and grandeur.

Each sip reveals the distinct terroir differentiation, capturing the perfect essence of its Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend. The Dame de Bouard 2021 is traditionally vinified, with its grapes harvested manually, followed by a meticulous triple sorting process before being aged in French oak barrels. This painstaking process lends it an incomparable balance, a deep ruby hue, and a fresh taste profile with delicate tannins – a mesmerising dance of blackcurrant, raspberry, and floral notes punctuated by an elegant, polished finish. Truly, Dame de Bouard 2021 is the embodiment of French winemaking mastery embraced by wine connoisseurs globally.

James Suckling (99)

The aromas of this wine are perfect with decadent and wild fragrances of sliced fresh mushrooms, truffles, blackberries. Incredible complexity. Full and balanced. Racy, refined and amazing. The spirit of Cannubi. Drink or hold. But why wait?