Clos du Val was founded by John Goelet, a New York businessman, in 1972 in the Stag’s Leap District of Napa Valley. Bernard Portet was the founding winemaker, and he was responsible for much of the winery’s rise in reputation in the 1970s and 1980s. He retired in 2010. The winery owns 320 acres in Stag’s Leap and Carneros, and is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Portet was among the first winemakers in the region to use Merlot to soften California Cabernet Sauvignon, and his wines were known for their elegance and finesse. Today Clos du Val’s winemaker is John Clews, and the winery continues to earn acclaim for its wine. Wine & Spirits Magazine named it Winery of the Year in 2010. The winery’s signature wine is the Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.