1993 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon

Although closed, the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is crammed with so much sweet, blackcurrant fruit that it does not take a genius to figure out what this wine is all about. It offers an opaque garnet/purple color, a moderately intense, cassis, smoky, herb, and earthy nose, fabulous concentration, good muscle, and a boatload of sweet tannin. While drinkable, it needs another 4-5 years of cellaring. It will easily last for 20 years. The 1993s and 1994s are in bottle, and the 1993s, which were released several months ago, are disappearing before any bottles hit the retail shelf. Readers who could neither afford nor find the Cabernet Sauvignon or Maya Proprietary Red, will have to wait another ten months for the release of the 1994s. Production at Dalla Valle has dropped, largely because of the phylloxera damage to the vineyard, and the consequent replanting. For example, the production in 1993 was 40% less than that in 1992. The quantities of wine in 1994 will be equally small. Not until the late nineties is production expected to return to its former level. Tel. (707) 944-2676; Fax (707) 944-8411