100 California Wine Advisors

"The 2019 DVO (Dalla Valle Ornellaia) is a tour-de-force and wins our vote as ‘most likely to succeed’ new player on Napa’s Cult Cabernet scene! 2019 is only the second public release and is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, demonstrating how well these two grapes blend together when crafted by two brilliant winemakers. Maya Dalla Valle’s eponymous Cult Cabernet blend (also features Cabernet Franc) is one of California’s original five Cult wines and Axel Heinz is world-renowned for his craftsmanship at Italy’s Ornellaia and Massetto. The alluring bouquet shows fresh spring flowers, blueberry, raspberry, a hint of vanilla and subtle pipe tobacco in the background. Those delightful flavors continue and dance across the palate alongside semi-sweet cocoa, dark cherry, baking spices, and graphite. This is pure genius and a profoundly delicious cuvée, not only showcasing the talents of its makers, but the brilliance and freshness of 2019. We recommend decanting (minimum 30 minutes) if you pop a cork prior to 2025. Worthy of 99 points now, this thoroughbred will provide an exhilarating race through 2040 and could very well merit a triple digit score along the way. Bravo! (November 2022)"