DALLA VALLE VINEYARD
Dalla Valle Vineyards is recognized as one of Napa Valley’s preeminent family-run wineries. Founded in 1986 by Naoko and her late husband Gustav Dalla Valle, on the famed eastern hillsides of Oakville, Dalla Valle Vineyards has earned acclaim as one of world’s most celebrated wine estates, yielding wines of extraordinary character and complexity, vintage after vintage.
vineyard & viticulture
Encompassing just 20 planted acres, this renowned vineyard is farmed with the same level of meticulous care and thoughtfulness given to a First Growth site. As a result, it has emerged as one of the New World's greatest winegrowing sites, recognized for yielding some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the world.
Located on the famed eastern hillsides of Oakville, at elevations reaching 450 feet, it is a site that effortlessly straddles the line between a valley floor and a mountain vineyard. While a predominantly western aspect provides the vines plentiful sunshine, constant breezes off the San Pablo Bay bring a cooling influence that helps the grapes retain lovely natural acidity. Dalla Valle's distinctive mineral-rich volcanic soils provide excellent drainage and just the right amount of stress for the vines to yield profoundly complex and concentrated grapes.
The vineyard is tended by a dedicated vineyard team, with a focus on winegrowing, as opposed to grape growing. In keeping with the sustainably minded, multigenerational approach that guides Dalla Valle, the vineyard has been farmed organically since 2007 and is Certified Organic by the CCOF. Beginning in 2019, the team has shifted to biodynamic farming. As part of this holistic approach to vineyard health and vitality, an array of cover crops are grown, and natural soil amendments and composting are employed, depending on the needs of each block.
wines
The estate wines produced by Dalla Valle Vineyards originates in specific vineyard blocks, imbuing each with a unique sense of place. There are three wines produced each year from the estate.
Collina Dalla Valle, translating from Italian to “Hill of the valley”, is the introductory wine into the brand. This red blend is created from the younger vines on the property and offers a more approachable profile in its youth.
Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon was the first wine created from the estate in 1986. Always blended with a small fraction of Cabernet Franc, the Cabernet expresses the beauty of Dalla Valle Vineyards terroir.
Maya, named after founders Naoko and Gustav’s daughter, is a special blend of Maya’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and our best selected blocks of Cabernet Franc.
MDV is a mailing list only wine that is produced only in exceptional years. It is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Maya’s Vineyard, the base of Maya.
