The 2013 Maya is a wine for the patient. Dark, tannic and brooding, the 2013 boasts serious density and power. Mocha, espresso and cloves wrap around a core of dark, mineral-infused fruit. With time in the glass the Maya turns sweeter and more expressive, but the tannins remain imposing. Maya is on a roll now that the Cabernet Franc is back to about 43% of the blend. I am looking forward to seeing where the 2013 is in a few months.

The flagship wine, and one of the first in Napa Valley to emphasize the fabulous potential of Cabernet Franc in specific terroirs, is the 2013 Maya Proprietary Red Wine. This wine usually spends about 22 months in new oak and normally has anywhere from 45% to as much as 60% Cabernet Franc blended with the estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 could well be the finest they’ve made to date, and that includes a lot of profound wines. An incredibly complex nose of charcoal embers, blackberry and cassis, some blueberries as well as white flowers, and a touch of forest floor is followed by a full-bodied wine with sweet, well-integrated tannins, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a finish that goes on for close to a minute. This is absolutely remarkable wine – powerful, dense, but at the sane time, precise and elegant. It’s hard to believe, but I think this wine can probably age and improve for 25-40 years. Don’t miss it if you have access to it.