This wine will be featured during Saturday’s Prodigious Pours Panel-Led Tasting.

Clos Du Val is a family-owned wine estate in Napa Valley, California. Located in the Stags Leap District AVA, it specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, a region’s favorite. Clos du Val also has vineyards in Yountville and Caneros, the latter providing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Vintage Tasting Notes: Spring saw heavy rains which raised the twin threats of mildew and coulure, however, a long summer was poised for the rescue delivering a succession of warm, sunny days with little in the way of heat spikes. The morning fog also helped serve as a useful cooling aid helping to preserve the essential acidities and aromatic flavors of the grapes. The long growing season allowed for an unhurried harvest.

Vineyard Notes: Located immediately north of Napa town, Stags Leap is in a very particular spot on the valley’s eastern side. It occupies a narrow, strip of the valley floor sectioned off from the main valley by a range of small hills running roughly north to south. These form the district’s western edge and separate it from Yountville. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up some 90 percent of the vineyards in Stags Leap District, although a small amount of Merlot is also grown, mostly for blending. There are also tiny amounts of white wine – mostly oak-aged Chardonnay.

Critic’s Tasting Notes:  “Tangy and dry in cranberry and blackberry, this structured, age-worthy wine combines a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Given 16 months in a majority of new French oak, it is full-bodied and dense, with strong notes of toasted oak and grippy tannin.

Producer Website