“Carmel Greenberg is a Viticulture and Enology graduate from the University of California, Davis with in-depth knowledge of and experience in crafting super-premium Napa Valley wines; Cabernet Sauvignon being her specialty.

At Clos du Val, Carmel brings her strong foundational education and work and life experiences to the forefront to craft terroir-driven, Bordeaux-style red wines.”

“Clos du Val winery, located in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

That in itself is a testament to their success in the ultra-competitive Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon market, but what makes Clos du Val so unique is the fact that the founding partners at that time worked in Bordeaux, and selected this California locale where they would grow grapes that would allow them to produce wines in a style that mirrored classical offerings…”

“…with a new generation of ownership and another winemaker change, Clos du Val is making a concerted effort to get back in the game. And the winery aims to do it by getting back to its roots, focusing on Cabernet bottlings made in a more restrained style.

Olav Goelet, 32, represents the third generation of his family’s ownership. After working for a fishery in Massachusetts and some of the family’s other agricultural interests, Goelet moved to California in 2018. Since then, he’s found the winery taking up more and more of his attention…”

“Polished aromas of lovely ripe dark fruit and chocolatey spicy oak, with floral and herbal notes. An expressive and fresh palate with purity of fruit, juicy tannins, and a solid length. Approachable now and will age well.”

“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Hirondelle Vineyard is all Cabernet from a vineyard in the Stags Leap region. Its inky purple color is followed by a seriously good bouquet of blackcurrants, black raspberries, crushed rocks, spice, and cedarwood. It’s rich, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and deep, yet is still slightly tight and closed on the palate. Give this beauty 3-4 years of bottle age and it will keep for two decades or more. It’s a brilliant bottle of Cabernet.”

“The 2016 Red Blend Three Graces is stellar. Rich and unctuous, the Three Graces also has terrific freshness and plenty of structure to play off its more extroverted learnings. Dark red cherry, plum, espresso, bittersweet chocolate, rose petal and spice build as this racy, potent wine shows off its flamboyant yet polished personality. Dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot round out the blend.”