Founded in 1972 by John & Henrietta Goelet, together with winemaker Bernard Portet, Clos du Val was included in Steven Spurrier's 'Judgment of Paris' tasting in 1976 — a '72 cabernet sauvignon made from purchased fruit. In the 1986 rematch the Clos du Val placed first. Olav Goelet (John’s grandson) is now at the helm. It was always the dream of John and Henrietta to create a winery outside the insular world of the French wine industry but to share their love for French-style wines. (Portet's father worked at Lafite, and Goelet is descended from Bordeaux’s Guestier family of Barton & Guestier).

Clos du Val farms over 225 acres of estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District and Yountville AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) within Napa Valley:

• Hirondelle Vineyard – this is the crown jewel of Clos du Val’s estate program. 120 acres in Stags Leap District devoted to nine different clones of cabernet sauvignon (and the site of Clos du Val winery).
• Riverbend Vineyard in Yountville – along a narrow stretch of the Napa River sits the 100 acres of the Riverbend Vineyard planted to ten different cabernet sauvignon clones along with a mix of Bordeaux varieties and a dizzying array of clonal and rootstock material tailored to the diverse soil types.

At the helm of the winemaking team is Carmel Greenberg who originally hails from Israel. She fell in love with the world of wine while working in a French restaurant in Tel Aviv. After some dedicated independent study, she moved to the United States to complete her degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis.

Hand-harvested and hand-sorted, fruit is treated with the utmost care in the Clos du Val cellars. The focus on blending (a nod to their Bordeaux roots) is an integral part of what Clos du Val wine means and the ability to identify and isolate small batches of fruit at different stages of the vinification process allows for the assemblage of the perfect blend.

Over the last 5 years, significant investments have been made in the cellars and vineyards, and a period of unprecedented change has begun that includes a vibrant and vineyard-driven stylistic shift in the wines. New viticultural practices focus on lower and more intentional yields. Perhaps the most important change is the renewed focus on the Stags Leap District cabernets that first catapulted Clos du Val to fame, and the decision to concentrate exclusively on making estate-grown wines. As part of this commitment, they have reduced their cabernet production almost in half. At just the turn of the page to this next exciting chapter, Clos du Val will be a winery to watch closely for years to come.

www.closduval.com