Clos Du Val Winery
Encyclopedia
Clos Du Val Winery is a winery
in the Stags Leap District
of California
's Napa Valley
. The winery was founded by two men who were born into the French wine business, John Goelet and Bernard Portet. After scouting the world for two years to locate areas where they might produce Bordeaux
-style wine, Porter identified the then-undiscovered Stag’s Leap district of California’s Napa Valley as especially promising. Goelet bought 150 acres (61 ha) of vineyard
land and established the winery in 1972. The next year he bought 180 acres (73 ha) in the Los Carneros
region to produce the Burgundian varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
In the French Culinary Institute Wine Tasting of 1986, Clos Du Val Winery won first place.
In The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary the judges awarded Clos Du Val fifth place.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the Stags Leap District
Stags Leap District AVA
The Stags Leap District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within the Napa Valley AVA north of the city of Napa, California. The Stags Leap District was the first appellation to be designated an AVA based on the unique terroir characteristics of its soil...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Napa Valley
Napa Valley AVA
Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Napa County, California, United States. Napa Valley is considered one of the top wine regions in the United States...
. The winery was founded by two men who were born into the French wine business, John Goelet and Bernard Portet. After scouting the world for two years to locate areas where they might produce Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
-style wine, Porter identified the then-undiscovered Stag’s Leap district of California’s Napa Valley as especially promising. Goelet bought 150 acres (61 ha) of vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
land and established the winery in 1972. The next year he bought 180 acres (73 ha) in the Los Carneros
Los Carneros AVA
Los Carneros AVA is an American Viticultural Area which includes parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties in California, U.S.A.. It is located north of San Pablo Bay. The proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the bay makes the climate in Los Carneros cooler and more moderate than the wine...
region to produce the Burgundian varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Awards
The winery received international recognition when its first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon (1972) achieved eighth place in the Judgment of Paris.In the French Culinary Institute Wine Tasting of 1986, Clos Du Val Winery won first place.
In The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary the judges awarded Clos Du Val fifth place.
Further reading
- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that revolutionized wine. NY: Scribner, 2005.