x

Dalla Valle

Napa Valley, Oakville, United States

  • 28
    of the 245 000
    wine producers
    of the world
Photo © Nuikki

  • Weather

    17° C Clear sky

  • Time

    21:26 PM

  • Wine average?

    97 Tb

  • Country Ranking?

    25

  • Region Ranking?

    25

  • Popularity ranking?

    113

News

Vintage 2019/ Maya Dalla Valle started picking around the same time, emphasizing how it’s the last vintage she can remember being able to take her time with – the harvest stretching over several weeks rather than needing to get the fruit in as soon as possible. Aita highlighted how in early October, the temperature dropped significantly at night, slowing the ripening, and they picked in the second and third week of the month.

Temperatures were, on average, a little higher than 2018 – leading to a richer style, darker fruit profile and softer tannin structure – wines that are more classically Napa, compared to 2018’s slight Old World slant. They still, however, have a vibrancy and freshness, and while alcohol levels are higher than 2018, they are not elevated for the region, with almost all sitting below 15%. Volumes are generally good, thanks to that wet winter, a comfort given the low yields of 2020 and 2021.

As Corison noted, “When a vintage is perfect, it’s like falling off a log. Great grapes make great wine.” The winemaker’s job in a vintage like 2022, she says, is to “try not to mess it up”. Dalla Valle opted for shorter maceration times, finding the ripe, thick-skinned grapes offered tannin, color and flavor quickly. She notes how the wines have filled out with time, offering a “quiet power” that she loves

 

 

In early 2021 Tuscany, Italy based Ornellaia announced a partnership with Dalla Valle – producing a wine called DVO crafted from grapes grown in select sites around the Napa Valley – including from hillside locations. Several vintages were produced but never released; the first wine bottled for sale under DVO was the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. Eventually they plan to purchase an estate vineyard to dedicate to this wine.

Read More
Close

History

Dalla Valle Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery that was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle. The winery and vineyards are located on a plateau 400 feet above the valley floor, in the eastern hills of Oakville, Napa Valley. The combination of perfect sun exposure and the cooling marine influence from the Pacific Ocean make this an ideal site for world class winegrowing. Dalla Valle has reached an admirable level of acceptance in the last decade and produces some of the most sought out Cabernet Sauvignon and proprietary red wine in California. Wines made from Dalla Valle Vineyards are pure unbridled expressions of fruit at its most powerful and concentrated. These wines are of immense stature and richness with well-integrated tannin and acidity.

 

Since Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle purchased the property in 1982 and began planting vines, this exceptional acreage has continually distinguished itself as the ideal site for producing some of the world’s finest wines, thanks to the perfect convergence of lingering sunlight, cooling marine influence and red volcanic soil.

In 2017 Gustav and Naoko’s only child, Maya returned to the property that she grew up on and is now the winery’s Director. Her first harvest related job outside of Dalla Valle was working in the cellar for a year for Napa based Neyers Winery.

When she voiced interest in working for the family, Naoko encouraged her to study winemaking. So she did – earning a degree from Cornell University in Viticulture and Winemaking and later a Masters’ Degree in Vineyard and Winery Management from Bordeaux’s Sciences Agro University. And she worked at notable wineries overseas including Bodega Rolland in Argentina and in France, Petrus and Chateau Latour. 

While Naoko is still very much involved in the hands on operations of the winery, Maya is contributing her own perspectives and ideas to the property, especially in regards to their vineyards and as of 2021, as winemaker.

Read More
Close

Vineyards

The site is entirely in the Oakville Appellation on extremely rocky iron and mineral rich soils which are a noticeable rusty red color. This is one of the Napa’s Valley’s most premium vineyard neighborhoods – nearby neighbors include Oakville Ranch, Peter Michael’s Au Paradis Vineyard and Screaming Eagle and Rudd Estate on the valley floor. The vines are planted at an elevation of between 400 and 450 feet and are organized into 18 different blocks. As with similar elevations in this part of Oakville, the views of the valley are expansive yet intimate. 

When one looks at this tiny piece of the Vaca Mountain range from above or glancing at a topographic map, one sees what look like geographical steps, a series of somewhat flat surfaces that rise from the valley floor in step-like formations and extend south east into the range. Dalla Valle with a few of their vineyard neighbors are situated on the lowest of thasese steps. According to the book, The Winemakers Dance, these flat surfaces most likely occurred as a result of uplifting due to crustal compression, once reaching an unstable height, large masses of soil and rock then slid down towards the valley below. In any case, this part of Napa has been identified as one of the sweet spots for growing premium wine grapes.

 

The original vines were planted in 1982 and 1983; today the property is planted to 21 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (which does exceptionally well here) and a very tiny block of Petit Verdot.

Their attention to detail is meticulous – “precision farming” as Maya states. They have been farming organically for many years – however Maya is slowly introducing steps towards Biodynamic farming – having learned from some of the best producers in Burgundy who farm this way including Claude and Lidia Bourguignon, two well-known Burgundy based micro biologists who consult worldwide and are experts in soil health. Maya is focused on maintaining the health of their vines but also extending their longevity. 

And rather then outsource to a vineyard management company, all their vines are managed by their own team of employees including their long time vineyard manager who lives on site.

Read More
Close

Winemaking

As dictated by naturally low-yielding soils composed primarily of fractured volcanic rock, Dalla Valle Vineyards keeps fruit production tightly controlled. Rootstocks have been carefully chosen for compatibility with the estate’s terroir, excellent drainage and ideal exposure to sunlight—a full hour more than vines on the valley floor enjoy. The combination of these elements enables Dalla Valle to produce fruit of unique quality and highly sought-after wines in very limited quantities.

Read More
Close

Inside information

PEOPLE

Naoko Dalla Valle

Founder and Proprietor

Originally from Kobe, Japan, where her ancestors were Sake makers, Naoko and her husband Gustav shared a vision to produce world-renown Grand cru wines. Since Gustav’s death in 1995, Naoko has continued to realize that vision as sole proprietor of the couple’s Oakville estate, assisted by a formidable team of hand-picked experts. Under her inspired direction, Dalla Valle Vineyards maintains the strictest of standards and continues to scale the heights of quality.
 

Andy Erickson
Winemaker

Andy has been instrumental in crafting some of Napa Valley’s very finest wines. As a fervent believer in terroir, his chief concern at Dalla Valle is to understand and maximize the unique qualities that allow this vineyard to produce truly special and authentic wines. He engages in every aspect of the process, from grape growing to bottling, working in tandem with Naoko and her team to maintain focus and strive for the pinnacle of quality.
 

 

Michel Rolland
Consulting Enologist

Highly regarded and widely influential in his native France and throughout the wine world, Michel brings his keen understanding of both the vineyard and the cellar, his gifts as a master blender and an intrinsic comprehension of terroir to winemaking at Dalla Valle Vineyards. He is on site at critical stages in the process: during harvest, for the creation of the master blend and to confirm the final blend, always working in close collaboration with Naoko.

Read More
Close

5 different wines with 78 vintages

Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Send
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register