United States · California

Dalla Valle

Dalla Valle Vineyards was established in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle on the eastern hillsides of Oakville, Napa Valley, with vines planted on volcanic, rocky soils at the base of the Vaca Mountains at elevations between 400 and 800 feet. The estate's flagship wine, Maya, is a Cabernet Franc-dominant blend — unusual for Napa Valley — that was first produced in 1992 and immediately attracted near-perfect critical scores, becoming one of the Cult Cabernet movement's defining releases despite its Franc-led composition challenging the Cabernet Sauvignon norm. After Gustav Dalla Valle's death in 1995, Naoko and daughter Mia continued the estate with consulting winemaker Andy Erickson overseeing production. Maya accounts for 1,003 of the 1,876 total auction lots at a $298 average, with the 2013 vintage most actively traded and peak prices reaching $3,824 — reflecting demand for the 1992, 1994, and 1996 benchmark early vintages. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon averages $217 across 267 lots with 2002 as the top vintage. The MDV bottling — introduced later as an ultra-prestige tier of approximately 150 cases annually — achieves $605 average across only 20 lots, commanding a substantial premium with 2018 as its leading vintage. Dalla Valle pioneered the Oakville hillside terroir that has since attracted Harlan Estate, Bond, and other prestige producers to the same eastern benchland. Production of Maya is typically 500–700 cases, supporting meaningful auction volume while maintaining scarcity.