In 1970, American businessman John Goelet sent French-born winemaker Bernard Portet off with a passport and a mission to find new territory with the potential to produce world-class wines. Two years and five continents later, Portet landed in California. Portet got a sense of Napa Valley’s microclimates by driving through the area with his arm out the car window. Struck by the cool evenings and idyllic terrain of the then-undiscovered Stags Leap District, he proposed the area to Goelet. Convinced, Goelet acquired 150 acres of land and founded Clos Du Val, a “small estate of a small valley,” in 1972. Soon thereafter Clos Du Val became one of the first wineries to stake a claim on some of the finest hillside land in the cool-climate region of Carneros, purchasing 180 acres in 1973.

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. The 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 10 years later, proving that Clos Du Val wines age with grace.

Today co-founder and vice chairman Bernard Portet is joined by vice president of vineyards and winery operations John Clews. The two 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 elegant wines illustrate that a classic is always in style.