East Hampton Star
But Clos Du Val has a history of producing serious wines that goes back decades. Their cabernets are powerful but elegant and supple and nuanced...(January 2007)

Decanter
One of the first Napa wineries to actively use Bordeaux as a model was Clos Du Val in the Stag's Leap District. A lot of Clos Du Val's charm comes from the winery's founder, Bernard Portet, a master blender...(August 2006)

Decanter
Clos Du Val - the drink of choice in Hollywood...(August 2006)

Associated Press
At the Clos Du Val winery in Napa Valley, officials have been pursuing product placement for about five years and calculate appearances of their wines on TV and movie sets have yielded thousands of dollars worth of publicity, said Holly Myers, vice president of marketing.

Like other wineries, Clos Du Val doesn't pay for play, but has donated wine for a number of show biz bashes and works with a marketing agency, Set Resources.

A successful placing was in the movie "The Terminal," in which Tom Hanks orders a Clos Du Val cabernet sauvignon for a romantic dinner... (July 9, 2006)

Orange Coast
First on the list was Clos Du Val, a small estate winery in the Stags Leap District along Silverado Trail that was founded in 1972 as one of the pioneering winemaking operations in the region. The winery produces Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other varietals according to the Old World techniques employed by French-born winemaker Bernard Portet, the co-founder of the winery and its director of winemaking. We took the docent-led winery tour, which started in the vineyard and included a step-by-step description of the entire winemaking process. After a box lurich and tasting, we stocked up on a few bottles of our favorites...(July 2006)

MSNBC.com
Clos Du Val in particular stood out for its freshness and complexity. Founded in 1972 by businessman John Goelet and French winemaker Bernard Portet...helped put Napa on the global map.

After the tasting, we compared Clos Du Val's Stags Leap bottlings from 2002 and 1989, and found in both the same mineral structure and supple fruit density. The ‘89 had retained its brightness, and added layers of herbal and brandied fruit notes. At times, Clos Du Val’s adherence to a more Bordeaux-like style has cost it critical praise. But its ability to evolve over time is a sign of the best of what old style Napa can offer. (June 13, 2006)

Aspen Magazine
Among the many tasting tables in the Grand Tasting tent at the Classic is one very much in tune with Aspen. Clos Du Val - famous for its terroir-conscious, Medoc-inspired, Parker-defying wines - also happens to be the Official Wine of the Aspen Music Festival (AMF)...I can't tell you we sell more wine because of it...but an audience that likes good music often likes good wine...(Summer 2006)

Wine Enthusiast
Q&A with actor Jason Priestley
Q: What’s your house pour?
A: It entirely depends upon what’s being consumed. I’m always in my cellar trying to pull out the old bottles before they turn, as witnessed earlier with the white Burgundy debacle. I get very nervous about keeping wine past its prime. That said, at a dinner party here a few months ago, I opened a 75 Clos Du Val that was stunning. California wines aren’t supposed to last 30 years, but this was 30 years old and it was awesome...(June 2006)

Wine Skinny
Clos Du Val is one of those wineries for me. It was one of the first tasting rooms I ever visited in Napa Valley, nearly twenty years ago, and I associate it with some of my earliest California wine experiences. And it is a tasting room that I have revisited on many subsequent visits -- I've done the tour (twice?), tasted the wines and chatted with the friendly, enthusiastic staff. More often than not, the person pouring my wines will reach into an unseen stash of goodies and whisper with a conspiratorial wink, "Try this -- I think you'll really like it." (Yes, it may be just a sales technique -- but who cares when the results are this tasty?!) For me, Clos du Val means happy wine memories.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with John Clews, Vice President of Vineyard and Winery Operations, when he swung through town. Clews' elegant thoughtfulness seemed to perfectly reflect the wines he crafts along with Clos Du Val's veteran founding winemaker Bernard Portet.

Importantly, Clos Du Val's wines are great food wines, rather than a meal in themselves. Across the line the wines offer balance and refinement. Nothing overripe or overly alcoholic or showy. In fact, the way the wines evolve on the palate -- slowly, with complexity and finesse -- is downright European. But with Napa's picture-perfect ripe fruit. (June 12, 2006)

San Jose Mercury News
The Great Wine Divide (Judgement of Paris tasting)
As for the old reds, tasting them was an interesting exercise. Wines with that much age tend to change very quickly once they're poured. Some fell apart; others actually improved. I changed my rankings several times. Ultimately, I picked the 1972 Clos Du Val, which I found to be very lively, with spicy fruit and a long finish.

My No. 2 cabernet, by the way, was another 2000 made in a more restrained style, the 2000 Clos Du Val Reserve. As Draper noted, 2000 was a cool vintage that was trashed by many wine critics. I've said in the past that there were some excellent wines from that vintage; based on the tasting, I'll stand by that assertion. (May 31, 2006)

Paper City (San Francisco)
Buried Treasure
Pouring your best vintages faster than you can cruise through Wine Country to search for suitably aged replacements? Join Clos Du Val’s Dusty Bottle Club and receive biannual shipments of limited-edition library wines from the 1970’s - 1990’s. Exceptional bottles have been tucked away in the Clos Du Val cellar since the Napa winery’s inception in 1972, and the shipment to be mailed next month contains a 1976 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District.

Founding winemaker Bernard Portet says the 1976 cab is rich and velvety. “It is lively, well balanced and good to drink now. I am sure it can age more, but at already 30 years—might as well enjoy it when it’s still alive and kicking!” The 1992, he says, “is defined by its elegance. It was the last vintage of the SLD wines until 1997, at which time the new plantings came back in production...I love its power and balance.” Club members receive exclusive rights to purchase any wine more than 10 years old, shipments of prized older wines, discounts on current wines and invitations to release parties and dinners with the vibrant Portet. Put down the stemware and sign up; a limited number of memberships are currently available (hint: we can count them on two hands).
(April 2006)

Houston Chronicle
Clos Du Val - the essence of elegance
by Mike Lonsford

Today Clos Du Val makes the usual chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir, as well as a white Bordeaux blend. The wines are not the chest-thumping, narcissistic blowhards that are so prevalent today; rather, they are refined, sometimes subtle and always crafted to do what they're supposed to: accompany, not dominate, a meal. That was the gist of what John Clews, head of vineyard and winery operations, told me the other evening at Ibiza. "We use European wines as our models," he said, "and we look for finesse and balance."

You know about the mainstream varietals (tasting notes above), but Clos Du Val's Ariadne, named for a Greek goddess, is unusual. Portet is fond of Bordeaux's famous Haut-Brion Blanc, a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon. The latest Ariadne is two-thirds semillon, one-third sauvignon blanc. It is a subtle, complex white wine that Clews called a good substitute for chardonnay. Interestingly, while the other wines I tasted were '03s and '04s, the Ariadne being released is '02. Why the extra bottle age for a white wine? "When the wine is young, the sauvignon blanc can overpower it. We think it needs time to meld, to get into balance," Clews said. Spoken like a true believer. (April 3, 2006)

Robb Report
From the Robb Cellar - Clos Du Val Dusty Bottle Club. "Rarely do the old-line vintners release bottles from their libraries, which is why readers should take note of Clos Du Val's Dusty Bottle Club...Clos Du Val is a long-established icon of the Napa Valley and one of the region's first Franco-American experiments. Recently, cofounder Bernard Portet conceived the idea of opening the doors of the winery's library to a small group of enthusiasts who might appreciate sampling its history. In May, the first of the 2006 releases will ship; these include the 1976 ($135) and the 1992 ($95) Cabernets, both of which showcase the superb aging abilities of Clos Du Val's reds..." (April 2006)

Wine Enthusiast Online
Oscar-Worthy Wine

Actress Alyson Hannigan stops by the Clos Du Val gifting table at "Extra" Oscar Awards Lounge March 2. The Oscar ceremony and Hollywood are synonymous with luxurious perks and goodies...Napa winery Clos Du Val toasted the celebrities while raising money for charity. Clos Du Val had a presence at three major events over the course of Oscar week: the “Extra” Oscar Awards Lounge, the Children Uniting Nations Oscar-viewing dinner and the Los Angeles Confidential magazine’s Oscar luncheon to honor women in Hollywood.

The “Extra” Oscar Awards Lounge at the Le Meridien hotel boasted A-list attendees who spent a day being pampered while sipping Clos Du Val’s 2002 Ariadne, a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the 2001 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.

As part of the event, “Extra” held an online auction to benefit Race to Erase MS. Clos Du Val contributed a double-magnum of the 1978 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, valued at $1,045.

Among the A-list celebs who attended the event was Alyson Hannigan, star of CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother” and best-known for her roles in the “American Pie” movies and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Hannigan dropped by Clos Du Val’s gifting table March 2 at the “Extra” Oscar Awards Lounge and snagged a half-bottle of the soon-to-be-released Clos Du Val 2004 Chardonnay, a bag of Chardonnay peanut brittle and a gift card for a three-bottle set of Cabernet Sauvignons. During an interview for “Extra,” Hannigan explained that her husband, fellow “Buffy” alum Alexis Denisof, has quite a bit of wine knowledge, and she’s now trying to expand her own.

Other celebrities to receive Clos Du Val goodies included Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” William Shatner of “Boston Legal,” and James Pickens, Jr. of “Grey’s Anatomy.” (March 6, 2006)

Wine Spectator Online
Uncorked
Wine really is the perfect escape! At least, that's what Unfiltered thought when we heard that Prison Break star Rockmond Dunbar served Clos du Val at his recent birthday party. Last time we saw "C-Note," Dunbar's character on the hit TV show, he and his merry gang of inmates were attempting to break out of prison. Dunbar's real life is much more glamorous, with birthday bashes at Chicago's Victor Hotel, magazine cover shoots and a fashion model wife. (Rockmond and Ivy Dunbar were recently deemed one of the 10 hottest couples by Ebony magazine). Prison Break won Best New Drama Series at the 2006 People's Choice Awards, and it was there that the actor was introduced to Clos Du Val, the event's wine sponsor. For the Dunbars' 250 friends and fellow cast members, Clos du Val served its 2003 Chardonnay and 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Must be better than the stuff they make in prison toilets. (January 15, 2006)

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2005
Rating: 3 - 4 Stars
Bernard Portet and his staff create consistently elegant Cab Sauvs that are among the best ageing candidates in the state. Chard is a delight and a Sem/Sauv Blanc blend called Ariadne is one of the state’s best whites. (2005)

Food & Wine
Stags Leap District – Where to Go
Clos Du Val: Play a round of pétanque before tasting their wines. 5330 Silverado Trail, Napa; 800-963-9463. 707-259-2225 or closduval.com. (June 2005)

Bon Appétit
What’s New, What’s Hot, What’s Good
The trademark swirls of a Napa winery adorn these jammies for wine lovers. Clos Du Val silk pajama set, $85; 707-259-2208; closduval.com. (June 2005)

Wine Country This Week
Clos Du Val – ‘A Classic is Always in Style’
Napa Valley Classic Wines: Clos Du Val's Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon exemplify the winery's timeless style.
Estate Wines: Limited in production and highly allocated, Clos Du Val's Stags Leap District "Oak Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, "Carneros Vineyard" Pinot Noir and Sémillion and Sauvignon Blanc blend Ariadne, showcase a true sense of the estate.
Reserve Wines: Blended for style, grace and longevity, the Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon are the ultimate expressions of the vintage. Clos Du Val produces Reserve wines only in years of exceptional quality. ( May 20, 2005)

The Register-Guard (OR)
Old-World Approach Stands Test of Time
Clos Du Val's current classic line of wines represents the graceful, timeless style it has achieved since the winery was established. This consistent character and quality over the years is in great contrast to many premium Napa Valley wineries that have at times drifted to what they hoped would be popular that year, or to a style that would win over a hot-shot wine critic. (May 4, 2005)

The Anniston-Star ( AL)
French Still Influence American Wine
While some may boycott the wines of France, we cannot escape the profound French influence on the domestic wines we consume today. Clos du Val (small estate or of a small valley), founded in 1972 by American businessman John Goelet, is a good example of this. Goelet, the son of an American father and French mother, partnered with French winemaker Bernard Portet, giving him the charge to find a location that had the potential to produce world-class wines. Two years and five continents later, Portet settled on a 150-acre plot in what was then the undiscovered but today much sought after Stag’s Leap District in Napa. In 1973, the dynamic duo once again ahead of their time purchased 180 acres in the cool-climate region of Carneros. ( April 13, 2005)

Iowa City Press Citizen
Portet, Carneros Winning Combo
It began simply enough. A Frenchman named Bernard Portet, with the backing of American John Goelet, began to search the world for new vineyard land that would be suitable for growing great classic grapes…Today, Portet is considered one of the visionaries, a founding father of the Stag's Leap District. Using the proprietary fruit of Australian-trained Vineyard Manager Al Wagner, Portet makes some of the most consistent, top-flight wines in the Napa Valley. All their labels have the same joyful logo, with swirls surrounding three naked women. Nothing too risqué here, though. The women are the three graces of Greek mythology, Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth) and Thalia (Good Cheer), three things you'll find inside each bottle of Clos du Val as well. ( March 16, 2005)

Taste California Travel
Napa Valley's French Connection
Another French-inspired winery is Clos Du Val, started in 1972 by American John Goelet, a descendent of the distinguished Guestier family of Bordeaux, with winemaker Bernard Portet, who was raised in Bordeaux by a family in the wine business, Clos Du Val is located in the famed Stags Leap District, and is known for producing elegant "French" style wines more than typical Napa blockbusters. The winery welcomes visitors for tours and tastings. ( March 11, 2005)

Los Angeles Magazine
Your favorite college authors-Marcuse, Illich, Fromm, Freire-still serve their purpose, but now, so do a three-peppercorn sauce with a dry-aged steak and a bottle of Clos Du Val. (March 1, 2005)

Brentwood Magazine
Wine Country Escape
Over on the Silverado Trail just south of Meadowood, Clos Du Val’s beautiful estate welcomes visitors with open arms, with a soothing landscape, perfect for picnicking and even a couple of petanque courts (it’s a variation of bocce ball) for game-minded guests. Their wines are invariably satisfying, and for a $5 fee, visitors can spend an hour tasting everything from classic Napa Cabernets and Chardonnays to special estate and reserve bottlings, including yummy Pinot Noir and Zinfandels. (July/August 2004)

Colorado Expressions Magazine
A Splash of Heaven
There is a point when “old news” becomes history. Such is the case with the evolution of Napa Valley’s Clos Du Val winery, which has changed the world’s perception of California wines. For more than thirty years, Clos Du Val has made wines their way, and somebody up there likes them for it. (August 15, 2004)

Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences
Older Vintages, Fair Prices
Clos Du Val, one of the few wineries whose red wines have been made from the start to be aged before reaching a peak of enjoyment, now has literally dozens of mature wines for sale through its tasting room. In particular, the 1981 Napa Valley Cabernet, an old favorite of mine, is $155. The 1984 Napa is $135; the 1986 is $125; 1991 is $105. Another gem, the 1995 Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet, is $85 and the 1995 Reserve Cabernet is $123. (August 14, 2004)

Los Angeles Times
Winery Wines the Game of Product Placement
Clos Du Val may appear in more shows than any other brand thanks to its strategy of giving freebies to Hollywood. Already, the bottle stars in the movie’s [The Terminal] trailers and promotional stills. Clos Du Val, a small maker of premium wine, could never afford to hire a star of Hanks’ stature as an endorser. But by devoting 240 cases of its 65,000-case annual production as freebies for Hollywood, the winery has won dozens of stealth product placements near big-time celebrities.

In last year’s Academy Award-nominated film “21 Grams,” Sean Penn contemplates death over a bottle of the Napa winery’s Cabernet. James Gandolfini serves Clos Du Val in the HBO mob drama “The Sopranos.” Ray Romano pours it on the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Malinda Williams sipped it in the Showtime series “Soul Food.” No one tracks wine placements in films and television programs, but Aaron Gordon, president of the Set Resources entertainment marketing firm in Santa Monica, believes that Clos Du Val appears in more shows than any other brand. (June 7, 2004)