James chats in person in Napa Valley with Maya Dalla Valle, the winemaker at Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Axel Heinz, winemaker at Ornellaia in Tuscany, about the 2019 vintage for their joint project, DVO, and how it compares with 2018.
As to James' question of which vintage she likes better, Maya said: "It's so hard. They're both such high-quality vintages, but I would say six months ago I would have said '18. I've been really loving the '18s and the depth that those wines have, and I feel like they're very philosophical wines that can continue to draw you back and are very intriguing and really make you think."
She continued: "But I love the charm of the 19s as well. 'Friendly' is not the right word to use for it, but they have this aromatic intensity that I feel very drawn to between the florality and the fruit. It's very appealing. So it's a tough call between the two, I would say, but today I think the '19's are drawing me in a little more."
"That's a nice problem to have," James wryly replies.