Stags Leap District · Napa Valley
Visit Clos du Val with a Private Chauffeur
A Judgment of Paris winery founded to make Bordeaux-style wine in Napa, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
John Goelet founded Clos du Val in 1972 with a simple brief: make the best wine outside Bordeaux. His winemaker, Bernard Portet, searched four continents before choosing this estate in what became the Stags Leap District.
The first vintage, the 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon, was poured at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, and at the 1986 rematch it placed first among the reds. In the early 1980s Goelet commissioned the cartoonist Ronald Searle for a series of wine drawings. His grandson Olav Goelet runs the winery today.
Clos du Val is known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, led by Yettalil, from vineyards farmed on organic principles. Tastings are relaxed and seated in the Hirondelle House or on the terrace.
Tasting Fees
$75 for the Hirondelle House tasting, about an hour. $100 for Past, Present, Future Yettalil and $125 for the Retrospective Decade, each 90 minutes. Wine by the glass carries a $10 refundable fee.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
5330 Silverado Trail, Napa
AVA
Stags Leap District
Visiting
Open Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Reservations encouraged; walk-ins when there is space.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, including Yettalil
Founded
1972
Good to Know
Guests must be 21 or older. Leashed pets are welcome outdoors. Large groups contact the winery.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Silverado Resort in Napa or Bardessono in Yountville.
10:00 · Pickup at Silverado Resort or Bardessono
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Silverado Resort, a golf and spa resort at the foot of Atlas Peak, is about 6 minutes from Clos du Val, and Bardessono, a LEED Platinum hotel in Yountville, is about 12 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Clos du Val
The Hirondelle House tasting, about an hour ($75).
11:25 · Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
About 3 minutes away. The winery whose 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The signature tasting is about an hour ($95). By reservation, 21 and over.
12:40 · Lunch at Mustards Grill
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Mustards Grill on Highway 29, a Napa Valley institution open daily. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Trefethen Family Vineyards
About 10 minutes away. A family estate in Oak Knoll since 1968, with Napa Valley's only surviving 19th-century wooden gravity-flow winery; its Chardonnay won the 1979 Wine Olympics. Winery flights from $45, about an hour. By reservation, 21 and over.
3:10 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Jessup Cellars
Adds about an hour. One of the first tasting rooms in Yountville, now also a fine-art gallery. Walk-ins are welcome for the bar tasting ($30), first come, first served; the last bar tasting is at 4:30 p.m. Dogs welcome.
About $215 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works Thursday to Monday, when Clos du Val is open.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Clos du Val?
Reservations are encouraged, and walk-ins are welcome when there is space. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Clos du Val?
$75 per person for the Hirondelle House tasting, $100 for the Yettalil tasting and $125 for the Retrospective Decade, as of September 2026.
When is Clos du Val open?
Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Was Clos du Val in the Judgment of Paris?
Yes. Its 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured at the 1976 tasting and placed first among the reds at the 1986 rematch.
Can children visit Clos du Val?
No. Guests must be 21 or older.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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