Clos du Val Winery Visit

Like many of the other wineries in the 1976 Paris Tasting, Clos du Val was but a baby when its wine was entered. It was founded in 1972 by John Goelet, an American businessman. John hired Bernard Portet, a Bordeaux winemaker, to create his wines. The pair had literally searched the world for an ideal location to begin a vineyard, and chose the Napa Valley.

Their 1972 Cabernet - literally their first wine created - won 8th place in that original tasting. Even more spectacular, when the exact same vintages were tasted in 1986 to see how well they had aged, the Clos du Val Cabernet came in first.

Clos du Val was a wonderful place to visit. I could have looked at the demo vineyards in their front lawn for hours. They showed many, many styles of vine growth, pruning, and spacing techniques. The tasting room was large, the wines were delicious, and the staff was great fun to talk with.

The Clos du Val Tour

Tasting the Clos du Val Wines

Photo Gallery from our Clos du Val Visit

Vine Photo Gallery from our Clos du Val Visit

Paris Ranking: 8th, Cabernet (1st in 1986 retasting)
GPS Location: N 38 22.928 W 122 18.691
Website: ClosDuVal.com