Clos Du Val: Classic Wines that are Always in Style
Clos Du Val is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic Red Wine.
The winery's roots date back to 1970 when American businessman John Goelet sent French-born winemaker Bernard Portet off with his passport and a mission to find new territory with the potential to produce world-class wines. Portet fulfilled that mission when he selected the Stags Leap District for Bordeaux varietals.
In 1973, Portet became one of the first vintners to stake a claim on some of the finest hillside land in the cool-climate region of Carneros, another undeveloped and promising district now famous for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Portet's old-world approach to winemaking combined with Napa Valley fruit established Clos Du Val's tradition of classic estate-style wines of balance, elegance and complexity. Its first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1972 was one of only six California Cabernets selected for the now-legendary 1976 Paris Tasting. That same vintage took first place in a rematch ten years later, proving that Clos Du Val wines age with grace.
Winemaker John Clews joined Clos Du Val in 1999 and reinvented its Chadonnay and Pinot Noir program in Carneros where the winery owns 180 acres in Carneros. He has carefully replanted the Carneros vineyards using new clones and new rootstocks. His viticultural techniques include hand pruning, suckering, leaf pulling, cluster thinning, shoulder removal, deficit irrigation and sustainable agriculture.
Clos Du Val continues to grow Bordeaux varieties--Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, at its Stags Leap District vineyard. The 150-acre Stag Leap vineyard is known for the elegant "rock-soft" Cabernets it produces. The District is the first viticultural area in the U.S. to be defined based on the distinctiveness of its soils. Its gravelly, clay, loamy soils are shallow, lean and retain less water, leading to low-yielding vines of intense flavor and concentration. The cool breezes that roll through during the evenings, result in lower nighttime temperatures, allowing the grapes to mature slowly and ripen evenly, achieving balance, velvety tannins and varietal character.
Clos Du Val's Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon well-represents the winery's trademark style of elegance, balance and complexity. Together, Portet and Clews make blending decisions as a team and share a passion for creating wines that complement a meal and have the proven ability to age for many years.
Clos Du Val's tasting room is open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tastings are $10 per person; the tasting fee is waived with any wine purchase. Reserve tastings are also available for $20 per person, and include Clos Du Val reserve and library wines. Call ahead for an appointment for groups of eight or more. Tours are also available to the public by appointment. Call (800) 993-9463 for more information. Picnic tables are also available and reservations are recommended on weekends and for groups of eight or more. The fee to reserve a picnic table is $10 per person, with bottles of Clos Du Val water included in the price.
Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.
Clos Du Val continues to grow Bordeaux varieties--Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, at its Stags Leap District vineyard. The 150-acre Stag Leap vineyard is known for the elegant "rock-soft" Cabernets it produces. The District is the first viticultural area in the U.S. to be defined based on the distinctiveness of its soils. Its gravelly, clay, loamy soils are shallow, lean and retain less water, leading to low-yielding vines of intense flavor and concentration. The cool breezes that roll through during the evenings, result in lower nighttime temperatures, allowing the grapes to mature slowly and ripen evenly, achieving balance, velvety tannins and varietal character.
Clos Du Val's Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon well-represents the winery's trademark style of elegance, balance and complexity. Together, Portet and Clews make blending decisions as a team and share a passion for creating wines that complement a meal and have the proven ability to age for many years.
Clos Du Val's tasting room is open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tastings are $10 per person; the tasting fee is waived with any wine purchase. Reserve tastings are also available for $20 per person, and include Clos Du Val reserve and library wines. Call ahead for an appointment for groups of eight or more. Tours are also available to the public by appointment. Call (800) 993-9463 for more information. Picnic tables are also available and reservations are recommended on weekends and for groups of eight or more. The fee to reserve a picnic table is $10 per person, with bottles of Clos Du Val water included in the price.
Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.
