Clos du Val Red Blend, Napa Valley

Description

Clos du Val Red Blend is a red wine produced from grapes grown in the Napa Valley. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Clos du Val was founded in 1972 by American businessman John Goelet (a descendant of Bordeaux’s famed wine merchant, Barton & Guestier) and French-born winemaker Bernard Portet. Portet’s father had been manager at Chateau Lafite, where he and his brother Dominique were raised. There were one of the first wineries to set up in the now super-famous Stags Leap district and was first recognized for its Cabernet Sauvignon at the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976. Today the winery is and run by Owner and General Manager Olav Goelet (one of the six grandchildren of founder John Goelet), Director of Operations Jon-Mark Chappellet and Winemaker Ted Henry.

Since 2014 there has been a change in philosophy at Clos du Val with focusing almost exclusively on making estate-grown wines, with an emphasis on the exceptional Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignons that first catapulted Clos Du Val to fame. Clos Du Val farms 350 acres of estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District, Carneros and Yountville appellations. continues to craft wines of balance and complexity, showcasing the fruit from the outstanding terroir on which the estate lies. 

Clos du Val Red Blend is a blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot with a little bit of Malbec. The grapes come from three different sites in Red Hills, Lodi and Mendocino. Following a dry winter season, the 2020 harvest began with mild weather patterns. In early August, an intense heatwave hit the Napa Valley and accelerated ripening, causing harvest to start two to three weeks early. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks with 2-3 daily pump overs and then aged for 7 months in French oak.

Clos Du Val has also ceased using any herbicides or pesticides in its vineyards, and the estate is halfway through the three year process of full organic certification. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.