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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.