Clos du Val, Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley 2017

John and Henrietta Goelet founded Clos du Val in 1972. A descendant of Bordeaux’s famed wine merchant, Barton & Guestier, John had a vision of producing Cabernet Sauvignon that would rival the world’s best. French trained winemaker Bernard Portet was selected to head the search for the perfect property from which to produce these wines.  In 1972, two years and five continents later, a parcel in what would become the Stags Leap District in the Napa Valley was chosen to fulfill this lofty dream. Their inaugural wine, the 1972 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon, was part of the group that topped French wines in the legendary 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting. Ten years later, their Cabernet Sauvignon took first place in the Judgment of Paris rematch.

Made exclusively using grapes from their acclaimed Carneros estate vineyard, which Clos du Val has been farming for more than four decades, this Chardonnay leads with vibrant aromas of cotton, vanilla and jasmine flower. On the palate, balanced acidity gives the wine a smooth mouthfeel with a refreshing green apple finish.