2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Good deep red-ruby. Enticing aromas of black cherry, cassis, lead pencil and sweet, sexy oak. Rich, layered and sweet, with harmonious ripe acidity that will not get in the way of enjoying this wine early for its appealing black cherry and sexy oak flavors. Very pliant, lush wine with sweet tannins that build with aeration. About 30% of this and the 2005 cabernet came from vines planted in the mid-'70s, but these vines were pulled up after the 2005 harvest.

Naoko Dalla Valle showed me two versions of this wine, the first with 5% cabernet franc press wine, and the second with 5% cabernet franc free-run juice. With press wine: Good red-ruby color. Dark plum, black cherry and mocha on the nose. Intensely flavored and seriously structured, with deep flavors of black cherry, blueberry, minerals, cola and chocolate. Finishes firmly tannic and impressively long. With free-run juice: Less expressive aromas of plum and black raspberry, with sappy hints of minerals and brown spices. Dense and spicy on the palate, with lovely sweetness but also good shape to the blueberry and mineral flavors. Finishes with substantial but fine-grained tannins and some sexy oak tones. There will be no Maya from the 2004 or 2003 vintages. In fact, following substantial replanting here, 2004 production will total just 450 cases, sharply lower than in recent years. As recently as 1992, Dalla Valle produced 4,500 cases of wine.