Maya 2014
AVA, Dalla Valle Vineyards, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc |
| Producer: | Diverse |
| Origin: | USA / California / Napa Valley |
| Other vintages: |
Description
"The 2014 Maya, a blend of our finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is dark, dense, muscular, and refined. While still distinctively focused, the wine is all about fruit intensity, with a rush of red fruit and exotic spice aromas rising from the glass—fresh bing cherry, dried currant, cardamom, fenugreek, cocoa and cinnamon. Mainly one is struck by the sheer purity of the wine, its seamless impression from start to finish. The tannins are highly structured but finely polished, and while there is plenty of girth and scaffolding to help the wine age for a very long time, the length is very impressive, carrying the shiny velvet sensation on for quite a while. This vintage of Maya will easily age for two decades or more." Citing Dalla Valle Vinyards
Attributes
| Origin: | USA / California / Napa Valley |
| Grape variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc |
| Volume: | 14.5 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Cabernet Sauvignon
The backbone of Bordeaux
The Cabernet Sauvignon gives the Bordeaux its backbone, yielding deep violet wines with powerful tannins and endless ripening potential. It is the top dog in Médoc, and is placed in all five premier crus of Bordelais. When young, it often appears strict and unapproachable, but with advancing years, its tannins round off. It is wonderfully velvety, and yet always maintains its freshness. Typical flavours include cassis, graphite and cedar. Wherever Cabernet Sauvignon is found, Merlot is not far away. It complements the robust structure of Cabernet with softness, fruit and richness. The Cabernet Sauvignon is the most-exported vine in the world. It delivers persuasive qualities in Italy as an ingredient of the Super Tuscan, or as the flagship variety from California. There, it is lovingly titled “Cab Sauv”. Meat fans should be aware that it fantastically accompanies a grilled entrecôte. The family tree of Cabernet Sauvignon is surprising: its parents are Cabernet Franc and the white Sauvignon blanc.
Cabernet Franc
Forefather of the Bordeaux varieties
The Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest varieties of Bordelais and a parent of three other red grapes in the Bordeaux assortment: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. It is distinguished by its complex, flavourful bouquet of raspberry, graphite, violet, liquorice and white pepper. In addition, it presents round, crisp tannins which turn out less strongly than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Cabernet Franc always appears as part of a blend in Bordeaux, it is pressed alone on the Loire. The most renowned appellations are Chinon and Bourgueil. Incidentally, the Cabernet originates not in Bordeaux but in the Spanish Basque Country. Cabernet owes its name to the Latin “carbon”, meaning black.
California
California: Lots of fruit and ripe tannins
Around 90 percent of the wine produced in the USA comes from California. The Napa Valley, situated roughly 100 kilometers north of San Francisco, is the most prominent wine region in the western hemisphere. California vintners first caused an international sensation with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, however, superior wines are also produced from Pinot Noir, Syrah and other varieties. California’s wine country shows more variety today than ever before.
USA
USA - Yes, they can!
The United States is the third-largest nation on the planet in terms of both land area (after Russia and Canada) and population (after China and India). Every conceivable climate zone can be found in the US, from hot deserts to arctic frost. Thanks to immigration from all over the world, the US is probably the most multicultural country on the planet. Thus it has the ideal conditions for producing internationally recognized wine.
