Loading lot details…
The August 2026 Auction: Part 4
Swipe left for previous · Swipe right for next
1 / 2Lot 372
Estimate: $200
Sold:
This auction has ended. Bidding is closed.
Collection name
Reviews
98+WA
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (containing a splash of Cabernet Franc) is a brand-new wine, representing a collaboration between Dalla Valle in Napa Valley and Ornellaia Estate in Tuscany (hence DVO). Deep garnet-purple colored, it is intensely scented of baked plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with an emerging perfume of potpourri, Indian spices and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is opulently fruited and plushly textured, delivering bags of floral and spicy nuances with a long, mineral and earth-tinged finish. Draped in flamboyant drama, this is a very different, very exciting new face of Napa Valley! 400 cases were made. DVO is a new joint venture between Dalla Valle and Ornellaia. The fruit for this new wine comes from various sources around Napa Valley, including cooler areas such as Coombsville and Mt. Veeder as well as Oakville. “It is about finding a more restrained take on Napa without being too simplistic about 'Old World finesse with New World personality,'” Ornellaia’s winemaker Axel Heitz told me over a Zoom call. There is a sense of friendship inherent in the wine. Maya Dalla Valle worked at Ornellaia in 2013. When she did her master’s degree in Bordeaux, Axel was the advisor for her thesis. “There is a common view between us about great wine,” Maya said. “We look out for less obvious sites around Napa Valley. We didn’t want a predictable formula. We wanted to include the coolness of high elevation, while still making a wine that speaks of Napa Valley.” “There is a close link to Italy with Maya with her father,” said Axel, “but also what we share as an Italian producer is trying to reflect sunny, warm climate—to try and bring out complexity and finesse. To combine the ripeness and opulence of wines born of the sun. In the great vineyard sites, you can have richness, opulence AND finesse.” DVO is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with a little Cabernet Franc, “to add freshness to the wine,” according to Maya. Axel was able to visit Napa during the 2018 harvest. During the winemaking, they exchanged on a daily basis. “We sat together to do the blends and make aging decisions,” he commented. For this first vintage, there are 400 cases only. While a specific DVO mailing list will be created in the future, they are initially planning to send an offer out to the Dalla Valle mailing list clients in spring 2021. A small amount will be sold through wholesalers."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (containing a splash of Cabernet Franc) is a brand-new wine, representing a collaboration between Dalla Valle in Napa Valley and Ornellaia Estate in Tuscany (hence DVO). Deep garnet-purple colored, it is intensely scented of baked plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with an emerging perfume of potpourri, Indian spices and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is opulently fruited and plushly textured, delivering bags of floral and spicy nuances with a long, mineral and earth-tinged finish. Draped in flamboyant drama, this is a very different, very exciting new face of Napa Valley! 400 cases were made. DVO is a new joint venture between Dalla Valle and Ornellaia. The fruit for this new wine comes from various sources around Napa Valley, including cooler areas such as Coombsville and Mt. Veeder as well as Oakville. “It is about finding a more restrained take on Napa without being too simplistic about 'Old World finesse with New World personality,'” Ornellaia’s winemaker Axel Heitz told me over a Zoom call. There is a sense of friendship inherent in the wine. Maya Dalla Valle worked at Ornellaia in 2013. When she did her master’s degree in Bordeaux, Axel was the advisor for her thesis. “There is a common view between us about great wine,” Maya said. “We look out for less obvious sites around Napa Valley. We didn’t want a predictable formula. We wanted to include the coolness of high elevation, while still making a wine that speaks of Napa Valley.” “There is a close link to Italy with Maya with her father,” said Axel, “but also what we share as an Italian producer is trying to reflect sunny, warm climate—to try and bring out complexity and finesse. To combine the ripeness and opulence of wines born of the sun. In the great vineyard sites, you can have richness, opulence AND finesse.” DVO is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with a little Cabernet Franc, “to add freshness to the wine,” according to Maya. Axel was able to visit Napa during the 2018 harvest. During the winemaking, they exchanged on a daily basis. “We sat together to do the blends and make aging decisions,” he commented. For this first vintage, there are 400 cases only. While a specific DVO mailing list will be created in the future, they are initially planning to send an offer out to the Dalla Valle mailing list clients in spring 2021. A small amount will be sold through wholesalers."
Have questions?
The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
California's most prestigious wine region, celebrated worldwide for opulent, structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Diverse soils and mountain-to-valley-floor sites yield wines of remarkable ripeness, power and longevity.
California's flagship appellation for opulent, structured Cabernet Sauvignon of ripe fruit, plush tannins and cellar-worthy depth.
2018 in Napa Valley enjoyed a long, cool, even season and a late harvest with a generous crop; the Cabernets are balanced, structured and classically styled, with vibrant fruit, firm tannins and excellent aging potential.