It is usually Maya that is the more dark-fruited wine at Dalla Valle. In 2016, this flagship blend and the estate Cabernet bottling share a similar fruit profile, making the comparison more about the different textures. Maya skews to the voluptuous side, sitting in the centre of the palate more than the sides. The tannins are substantial and chewy, framing a burly, three-dimensional, everlasting finish. Best to cellar for a decade before broaching.

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc. Coming on the heels of a prolonged multi-year drought, the 2016 growing season was defined by near-ideal conditions. Rain in March and early April allowed the vines to start the spring with ample moisture in the soil, making for healthy canopies and balanced vines. A dry, mild summer, with only one short heat event, helped the fruit ripen with deep colour, intense aromatics, and ample natural acidity. Harvested 8 September to 20 September. Inky purple in the glass, with an almost tarry ripeness of cassis and blackberry fruit. Very powerful, thick and rich. The toasty oak adds a cherry-cola note which increases the overall impression of heady ripeness. Hedonistic and impressive but a little excessive for my palate. (TP)

The 2016 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it's a little reserved to begin, soon unfurling to reveal the most incredible array of floral and red fruit layers—kirsch, redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, lilacs, red roses and lavender—with achingly beautiful wafts of cigar box, pencil lead, camphor, cinnamon stick and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and with fabulous elegance and poise in the mouth, the palate delivers layer upon layer of perfumed black and red fruits with a very firm, finely grained texture and an epically long, mineral-laced finish. Give this knock-out beauty another 5 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 30+.

The 2016 Maya offers another level of depth and density and is a truly special, magical wine. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc, it boasts off the chart notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, lead pencil, chocolate, and incense. These all give way to a massively concentrated, rich, and powerful wine that nevertheless stays oh, so seamless, silky and pure, with a finish that goes on for minutes. Utterly profound in every way, this sensational wine hits every high point you could ever set for a glass of wine. it's one of the top 2-3 wines in this report. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades.