TN 1996 Dalla Valle Napa Valley Cab

Carrie’s choice for her birthday wine with our delectable dinner. 13.5 ABV. Popped and poured, tight with bite an thin. Way too young. After 15 minutes, black fruits jump from the glass and coat the tongue for a half a minute finish. Plenty of tannins chasing the finish and the wine seems to bulk up in flavor and viacosity over the next 15 minutes. Finish increasing, fruit pure and lengthy. I’d drink this one within the next 3 to 5 years, but it hasn’t peaked and may go another 10 years.

Had this and Maya a decade ago, one of the best California Cabs I have had, period.

Just had a 10 minute sneezing fit, something I do experience with older Napa cabs. The wine is gorgeous at this point, 45 minutes open with dinner now.

One of my favorite producers from the 90s. Great wine.

I still remember that 87 you opened very fondly

Haven’t had the ‘96, but it sounds lovely, Randy. A ‘94 opened at age 20 was a really gorgeous wine. Another bottle opened this spring, at age 25, was good but starting to show its age a bit.

I have a ‘99 in the cellar to open on my oldest son’s 21st birthday next summer. Recent notes suggest it should be terrific.

I haven’t had any from the 2000s or 2010s and am curious if the style is still the same?

I still have this and the Maya in my cellar. The cab showed great, ten years ago.

I love Dalla Valle from the early to mid 1990s.

Andy, I found the 2005 to be riper and higher in alcohol. I much prefer the older ones.

Dalla Valle from the mid-90s were relatively affordable even in the late 2000s. I’ve had a number of 95s and 96s and they are well built to age, with a pretty stout tannic profile. Good fruit and nice complexity. Not world beaters, but really good classically styled Napa cabs. Lovely stuff, especially over a meal.

91-94 was the sweet spot for me. Those were excellent.

The '94 of this was and is still stupendous. But definitely ready now (and has been over the bottles I’ve had over the past ~5 years), and may be on the downslope soon.

I had a '98, '00 and '01 a couple years back. All were really nice, classically-styled cabs with lower alcohol. Wish they still made them in that style.

I’d be interested in watching him open a bottle very fondly.

LOL Greg is special. FWIW a friend opened a 99 tonight and it was mascerated. Poured it down the drain :frowning:

Just bought one of these for $100 cash from a guy I know who bought it upon release. Fill is immaculate. I’ll drink it Friday and report back

Holding you to it. Was it shook up during the purchase? How are you storing it. Who cares. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

The ‘92 Maya was only the 2nd 100 point CA cab rated by RMP (the first was ‘87 Groth reserve). The Maya was made by Heidi Barrett who was promptly let go shortly after! Huh?

We opened this last night and it drank beautifully immediately. As we were at a large wine event for the Manhattan Beach wine auction (our annual champagne dinner), so the bottle didn’t last long and I had to tuck the bottle away so it wasn’t immediately consumed.

Anyways this is a medium weight fully mature bottle that was very nuanced and refined. Cedar notes accompanied some lingering bright fruit. Very pretty wine. I’d put a “92” on it b

It was a long night and now I’m off to run the manhattan beach 10k

Still one of my all time favorites. I prefer the 97 by a hair and happy to still have some of each!