2018 DVO Napa Valley Red
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The debut vintage of a joint venture between Ornellaia of Bolgheri and Dalla Valle of Oakville, Napa Valley. Just 400 cases made. About 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc sourced from Farella and Colinetta vineyards in Coombsville in the south of the valley and Oakville Ranch and Block 7 of Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville. Rich and fragrant on the nose with light, ripe tannins and a certain mintiness. Already quite soft, sweet and approachable. I wonder how it will age? (JR)
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
A joint winemaking project between Axel Heinz and Maya Dalle Valle comes with high expectations, and this lives up to promise, with finessed and supremely sleek black liquorice, cocoa bean, Christmas cake spice and concentrated cassis and damson flavours. It has the exuberance and powerful build of the 2018 vintage in Napa, along with a sculpting of fresh herbs, slate and plenty of grip. An impressive first vintage. 75% new oak for ageing, held in bottle for one year before release. The grapes are from sites across Oakville, Mount Veeder and Coombsville.
An extremely balanced and polished red with blackberry, currant, a touch of fresh herbs, light walnut and cedar. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins and a tight, intense finish. Very precise for the vintage. This is the new collaboration wine between Napa’s Dalla Valle and Tuscany’s Ornellaia. Drink after 2025, but already a beauty.
A new project between Dalla Valle and Ornellaia that has been in the works for several years now, the 2018 DVO is made at Dalla Valle yet focuses more on the southern part of the valley as well as hillside fruit. It’s starting out in the 500-case range, but the goal is to grow the production toward 2,000 cases. The 2018 is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (there’s a small amount of Cabernet Franc) from Oakville and Mount Veeder, and the élevage is similar to Dalla Valle, brought up in a mix of new and used oak. It’s a beautiful wine with a complex, savory bouquet of cassis and currant fruits intermixed with notes of chocolate, bouquet garni, and scorched earth. It’s youthful and unevolved on the palate, yet has beautiful purity, ripe, silky tannins, and a great finish. A classy, structured 2018, it needs to be forgotten for 4-6 years and is going to evolve for 20 years or more.