Clos du Val

Clos du Val is an American winery based in Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, California. Founded in 1972 by John Goelet, the winery became internationally prominent soon after its establishment through the 1976 Judgment of Paris, the blind tasting that placed California wines against highly regarded French entries. Clos du Val submitted its inaugural 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon and received eighth place in the Cabernet Sauvignon category. Although the result was not the top ranking, participation in the event gave the young Napa winery an important association with the broader emergence of California wine on the international stage. The winery's reputation was reinforced a decade later when the same 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon participated in a 1986 rematch of the original Judgment of Paris entrants and achieved first place. Clos du Val also received first place at the French Culinary Institute wine tasting in 1986. At the 30th-anniversary recreation of the Judgment of Paris, its wine placed fifth. These tasting results are central to the brand's historical identity and are frequently cited in accounts of Napa Valley's growing international credibility. Clos du Val's name is French and is generally translated as referring to a small vineyard estate in a small valley. The winery is associated with estate-based Napa Valley production and is described as farming two estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District and Yountville appellations. Its portfolio centers on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux-oriented wines, with an emphasis on balance, complexity, and the expression of site rather than on volume-led mass-market production. The brand's public identity combines Napa Valley provenance with a French-influenced winemaking vocabulary. Its flagship historical asset is the 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon, whose performance in repeated blind tastings established a durable link between Clos du Val and the history of modern California wine. The winery continues to operate as a family-owned estate according to the cited reference material. Specific current ownership details, executive appointments, production volumes, financial figures, and distribution arrangements are not established in the supplied sources and are therefore omitted.

Clos du Val was established in 1972 in California's Napa Valley by John Goelet. The winery is located in the Stags Leap District, an appellation associated with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and its historical identity developed around the production of wines from the estate and surrounding Napa Valley vineyards. The name is French in form and conveys the idea of a small vineyard estate in a small valley, reflecting the winery's French-influenced presentation within an American wine-growing region. The first major turning point came with the winery's participation in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Clos du Val submitted its 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon to the blind tasting, in which California wines were assessed alongside leading French wines. The wine finished eighth among the Cabernet Sauvignon entries. While this was not a winning position, the event itself became a landmark in the international recognition of California wine, and Clos du Val's inclusion gave the newly founded winery an enduring place in that history. Clos du Val's reputation gained further strength in 1986, when the same 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon was included in a rematch of the original tasting and ranked first. The winery also took first place at the French Culinary Institute wine tasting during the same year. Together, these results created a distinctive narrative for Clos du Val: a Napa producer whose early Cabernet could perform credibly, and at times exceptionally, when judged against prestigious French benchmarks. The winery remained associated with subsequent commemorations of the Judgment of Paris. At the 30th-anniversary tasting, Clos du Val placed fifth. This result did not replicate the first-place outcome of the 1986 rematch, but it continued the wine's visibility in a recurring series of tastings that shaped public understanding of California's position in the global wine industry. In its ongoing operation, Clos du Val is described in the reference material as family-owned and as farming two estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District and Yountville appellations. Its production focus remains centered on Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style wines, with the winery presenting its wines through themes of balance, complexity, and vineyard character. The available material does not provide sufficiently specific information about later ownership changes, current winemaking leadership, annual production, financial performance, distribution structure, or individual product release dates. Those matters remain unreported here rather than being inferred.

1. 2006Fifth place at the Judgment of Paris 30th anniversary tasting

   Clos du Val places fifth in the 30th-anniversary recreation of the historic tasting.

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2. 1986The 1972 Cabernet wins the Judgment of Paris rematch

   The same vintage takes first place in a rematch of the original 1976 entrants.

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3. 1986First place at the French Culinary Institute tasting

   Clos du Val receives first place at the French Culinary Institute wine tasting.

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4. 1976The inaugural Cabernet enters the Judgment of Paris

   Clos du Val submits its 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon to the international blind tasting, where it ranks eighth in the Cabernet Sauvignon category.

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5. 1972Clos du Val is founded

   John Goelet establishes Clos du Val in Napa Valley, California.

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A premium Napa Valley estate winery focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux-style wines, vineyard character, balance, and long-term international credibility.

• Clos du Val Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon

  The winery's signature varietal category and the source of its most historically prominent wine. Clos du Val's 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon entered the 1976 Judgment of Paris, later won the 1986 rematch, and placed fifth at the 30th-anniversary tasting. The category anchors the brand's premium Napa Valley identity.

• Clos du Val ReserveReserve wine

  A reserve-tier offering associated with Clos du Val's premium portfolio. The supplied material identifies the Reserve as a flagship offering but does not specify its exact varietal composition, release history, vineyard sourcing, or current technical specifications.

• Clos du Val Bordeaux-style blendsBordeaux-style red blend

  Bordeaux-style wines form part of the winery's stated production focus alongside Cabernet Sauvignon. They represent Clos du Val's French-influenced Napa Valley approach and its emphasis on structured, balanced, and complex red wines.

• 2006Clos du Val places fifth at the 30th-anniversary Judgment of Paris tasting

  At the 30th-anniversary recreation of the Judgment of Paris, Clos du Val received fifth place, preserving its connection to one of the defining comparative tastings in modern wine history.

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• 1986Clos du Val wins the 1986 Judgment of Paris rematch

  The winery's 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon placed first in a rematch involving wines from the original 1976 Judgment of Paris. The result strengthened Clos du Val's historical reputation for competing with established French producers.

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• 1986Clos du Val takes first place at the French Culinary Institute tasting

  Clos du Val received first place at a French Culinary Institute wine tasting, adding another notable blind-tasting result to the winery's international record.

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• 1976Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon competes in the Judgment of Paris

  Clos du Val entered its 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon in the historic blind tasting comparing California and French wines. The wine finished eighth in the Cabernet Sauvignon category, bringing international attention to the young Napa Valley winery.

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1. Clos du Val Winery
2. Clos du Val official website