2019 Clos Du Val - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Estate HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Clos Du Val was founded in 1972 when the Goelet family tasked French-born winemaker Bernard Portet with searching the world for vineyard land capable of producing a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. He chose Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, and the winery's debut Cabernet went on to place among the top wines at the legendary 1976 Judgment of Paris, with the 1972 vintage later taking first place in the decade-later rematch. Still family-owned, Clos Du Val farms 220 acres of estate vineyards across the Stags Leap District and Yountville appellations.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is built around fruit from these estate vineyards, rounded out with small proportions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The wine is aged 16 months in French oak, with a little under half new, a regimen designed to add structure and polish while letting the vineyard's character come through clearly.

The wine offers ripe cherries and cassis with gentle notes of sage and cedar, moving into blackberry, blueberry compote, and a touch of espresso on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, it carries soft, velvety tannins that make it approachable now while still built to age. Pair it with grilled tri-tip, roasted lamb rack, or a nutty aged Manchego.