Jamie Gillan

At Clos du Val, we believe that wine is a love letter to all that is beautiful in this world. And our founders John and Henrietta Goelet, together with winemaker Bernard Portet, set out to write one of the best. It was the early 1970s in France; John and Henrietta were occupied with traveling the world, supporting the arts, and forging new businesses. A visionary spirit connected their many passions. Above all else, the two adored French wines. They dreamt of founding a winery outside the insular world of the French wine industry, and sought new ways of sharing their love for French-style wines with the world. At the time, it was a daring idea—fine wine was still synonymous with France, and it was widely believed that nowhere else on earth could rival such terroir, tradition, and winemaking excellence. The Goelets were undaunted. The two challenged a young Bernard Portet—fresh out of winemaking school and steeped in the Bordeaux tradition—to travel the world and find a place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon that would rival the world’s best. A two-year global search ensued, ultimately bringing Portet to the Napa Valley well before it was recognized as a world-class wine region. Together with Bernard, the couple planted their first vineyard and began production of their beloved Bordeaux-style wines. The early vintages of Clos du Val were turning heads at top competitions in France and the U.S., kickstarting what would become one of the couple’s biggest love stories yet. Over the last half of a century, Clos du Val has seen three generations of Goelet family ownership. The winery is now held by John and Henrietta’s six grandchildren, including our Head of Winegrowing and Chairman, Olav Goelet.