It is a miraculous confluence of nature that makes Clos du Val's Hirondelle Estate. From a cool, sheltered valley greeted daily by coastal winds to soils formed by the erosion of volcanic palisades, we embrace these natural blessings to craft Bordeaux-style blended wines.
What is striking about Hirondelle is not just where it is in the Napa Valley, but where it is in the world. Chosen by founding winemaker Bernard Portet after a two year journey spanning four continents, this bit of earth is rooted in intention, vision, and belief.
“We want to achieve the best wine outside of Bordeaux. Go ‘round the world and find it.”
–Founder John Goelet’s instruction to Bernard Portet
The “old way” of farming is wise because it resembles nature. Slow and symbiotic; grazing converts cover crop to fertilizer and hooves aerate the soil. There is beauty in nature’s logic. We grow more than grapes. There’s a whole community of living things. We tend to sheep, nurture a landscape hospitable to pollinators, and sustain a thriving microbiome in the soil beneath our boots. We all belong to this community, coexisting in harmony.
Agriculture is at the heart of who we are, not just what we do. We are shepherds of nature, vigilant in our stewardship and invisible in our imprint. With each season we embody what is historically true and good about wine: a singular focus on place, pursued on a human scale, guided and guarded by family. New generations don’t just inherit land, they inherit a culture.
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