A brief history
John and Henrietta Goelet founded Clos du Val in 1972. A descendant of Bordeaux's famed wine merchant, Barton & Guestier, John had a vision of producing Cabernet Sauvignon that would rival the world’s best. French trained winemaker Bernard Portet was selected to head the search for the perfect property from which to produce these wines. After traveling to five continents, this search brought Bernard to the Stags Leap District in Napa Valley, where perfect daytime weather, cool nights and ideal soils yield Cabernet Sauvignons of uncommon power and elegance.
Clos du Val's inaugural wine, the 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon, was one of only six California Cabernets selected for the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris Tasting, where California defeated some of Bordeaux’s finest. Ten years later, Clos du Val’s reputation for creating some of Napa Valley’s most gracefully age-worthy wines was solidified when its 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon took first place in the Judgment of Paris rematch.
