2005 Dalla Valle Maya

The 2005 Proprietary Maya, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is one of the first wines in Napa to showcase the brilliance of Cabernet Franc grown in selected microclimates. (I recall the 1971 Robert Mondavi Reserve, which had healthy doses of Cabernet Franc and first raised the potential of this grape in Napa.) Many vintages of Maya have had much more Cabernet Franc than this particular one, but the 2005 Maya has a beautiful, dense ruby/purple color, a youthful, but extremely promising bouquet of forest floor, spring flora, blueberry, raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, medium to full body (14.5% alcohol), an almost skyscraper texture, and a long, long finish of close to 40+ seconds. This is a stunner that is still remarkably youthful at age ten. This has turned out to be one of the superstars of a very impressive vintage.

The 2005 Maya is gorgeous, layered and beautifully expressive in the glass. Overall, the 2005 is a relatively mid-weight Maya that impresses for its balance and overall sense of harmony. Still quite vibrant, the 2005 will drink well for at least a handful of years to come. Hints of spice, tobacco and new leather flesh out on the finish, adding further dimensions of complexity.

(65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% cab franc) Deep ruby-red. Brooding aromas of bitter cherry, licorice and minerals, with the wine's classic floral perfume in the background. Then lush, sweet and seamless if a bit medicinal and backward today. Conveys an impression of serious thickness without weight. With aeration, the wine's floral character came through. Still a bit youthfully grapey, with the big, broad tannins calling for a good eight to ten years of cellaring. An impressive return for Maya, which was not made in 2003 and 2004. This is the last vintage to include some of the estate's oldest cabernet franc vines, dating back to the mid-'80s. Phylloxera exacerbated by leaf roll virus and oak root fungus has required wholesale replanting of vines here in recent years. Total production of the estate's two red wines in 2005 was just 700 cases, vs. 4,500 in the early '90s.