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Luczy: meeting Napa’s Maya Dalla Valle

It took flying the nest and spreading her wings at such blue-chip estates as Latour, Petrus and Ornellaia for Maya Dalla Valle to realise that there was no place like home. And now, as winemaker and general manager of the property her mother Naoko has run for the past 26 years, Maya makes Maya, their cult wine.

Multi-generational wineries don’t grow on trees. Human urges to venture out into the world and accomplish something different to that of your parents are common and understandable. Other temptations like selling a successful brand often result in nothing but a name surviving – one that all too often bears little resemblance to its origins.

Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle purchased their Oakville property in 1982 and established the label in 1986. They achieved success and accolades quickly, entering the market during the explosive popularity of high-end, small-production Napa Valley wineries in the early 1990s.


Scroll down for tasting notes on four vintages of the Dalla Valle estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Maya



Dalla Valle: four vintages of the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Maya


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