Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
Valley Cabernet. Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
crystals. The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
brickish cast. Nose of plums and cedar. Very smooth on the palate,
medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
leather and cedar. Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
acidity. The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
least another few years. "B+"

In article
>,
"Bi!!" > wrote:

> Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> Valley Cabernet. Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> crystals. The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> brickish cast. Nose of plums and cedar. Very smooth on the palate,
> medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> leather and cedar. Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> acidity. The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> least another few years. "B+"

I still have a bottle of that in my wine cabinet looking at my list.
Guess I should be drinking it up. Thanks for the notes.

Clos Du Val is one of my favorite Cal Cabs. And I am assuming this is a
regular bottling not a reserve...that is so great that its drinking well and
not in total decline yet.

Their wine is atypical of Cal Cab in the sense that it is not Parkerized to
reflect the Cal Fruit bomb experience.

A true fav of mine. I have non of this in my cellar but love their wine and
winery...I buy this at restaurants when eating out..

Perhaps I should cellar a few on occasion.


"Bi!!" > wrote in message
...
> Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> Valley Cabernet. Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> crystals. The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> brickish cast. Nose of plums and cedar. Very smooth on the palate,
> medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> leather and cedar. Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> acidity. The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> least another few years. "B+"

Bi!! wrote:
> Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> Valley Cabernet. Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> crystals. The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> brickish cast. Nose of plums and cedar. Very smooth on the palate,
> medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> leather and cedar. Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> acidity. The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> least another few years. "B+"

Thanks for these notes, Bill. On another forum, the topic of "classic"
California Cabernets came up and, along with Montelena, Dunn, Ridge and
a handful of others I offered Clos du Val as an example. The wines
aren't showy or big, but age well and usually develop into something
tasty. I'll have to go visit them again when next in Napa.

Mark Lipton

--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Apr 11, 10:10�am, "Richard Neidich" > wrote:
> Clos Du Val is one of my favorite Cal Cabs. �And I am assuming this is a
> regular bottling not a reserve...that is so great that its drinking well and
> not in total decline yet.
>
> Their wine is atypical of Cal Cab in the sense that it is not Parkerized to
> reflect the Cal Fruit bomb experience.
>
> A true fav of mine. �I have non of this in my cellar but love their wine and
> winery...I buy this at restaurants when eating out..
>
> Perhaps I should cellar a few on occasion.
>
> "Bi!!" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> > Valley Cabernet. �Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> > crystals. �The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> > brickish cast. �Nose of plums and cedar. �Very smooth on the palate,
> > medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> > leather and cedar. �Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> > acidity. �The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> > least another few years. "B+"- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

This was the regular bottling and while certainly it's showing mature
notes it's far from being over the hill. Bernard Portet brought a
French ssensibility to the Napa Valley mixing the best of both
worlds. His wines tend to acentuate the fruit while balancing the
acidity giving the wines an affinity for food and ageing. Certainly
one of my personal favorites from Napa.

On Apr 11, 12:00�pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
>
>
>
>
> �"Bi!!" > wrote:
> > On Apr 11, 10:10?am, "Richard Neidich" > wrote:
> > > Clos Du Val is one of my favorite Cal Cabs. ?And I am assuming this is a
> > > regular bottling not a reserve...that is so great that its drinking well and
> > > not in total decline yet.
>
> > > Their wine is atypical of Cal Cab in the sense that it is not Parkerized to
> > > reflect the Cal Fruit bomb experience.
>
> > > A true fav of mine. ?I have non of this in my cellar but love their wine and
> > > winery...I buy this at restaurants when eating out..
>
> > > Perhaps I should cellar a few on occasion.
>
> > > "Bi!!" > wrote in message
>
> > ....
>
> > > > Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> > > > Valley Cabernet. ?Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> > > > crystals. ?The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> > > > brickish cast. ?Nose of plums and cedar. ?Very smooth on the palate,
> > > > medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> > > > leather and cedar. ?Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> > > > acidity. ?The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> > > > least another few years. "B+"- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > This was the regular bottling and while certainly it's showing mature
> > notes it's far from being over the hill. �Bernard Portet brought a
> > French ssensibility to the Napa Valley mixing the best of both
> > worlds. �His wines tend to acentuate the fruit while balancing the
> > acidity giving the wines an affinity for food and ageing. �Certainly
> > one of my personal favorites from Napa.
>
> I pulled my bottle out to have tonight and it is the reserve bottling so
> I will report if that was different.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks, I'll look forward to the notes. I have a few 1995 and 1996
reserve bottles that I haven't tasted in years.

In article
>,
"Bi!!" > wrote:

> On Apr 11, 10:10?am, "Richard Neidich" > wrote:
> > Clos Du Val is one of my favorite Cal Cabs. ?And I am assuming this is a
> > regular bottling not a reserve...that is so great that its drinking well and
> > not in total decline yet.
> >
> > Their wine is atypical of Cal Cab in the sense that it is not Parkerized to
> > reflect the Cal Fruit bomb experience.
> >
> > A true fav of mine. ?I have non of this in my cellar but love their wine and
> > winery...I buy this at restaurants when eating out..
> >
> > Perhaps I should cellar a few on occasion.
> >
> > "Bi!!" > wrote in message
> >
> > ...
> >
> >
> >
> > > Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> > > Valley Cabernet. ?Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> > > crystals. ?The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> > > brickish cast. ?Nose of plums and cedar. ?Very smooth on the palate,
> > > medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> > > leather and cedar. ?Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> > > acidity. ?The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> > > least another few years. "B+"- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> This was the regular bottling and while certainly it's showing mature
> notes it's far from being over the hill. Bernard Portet brought a
> French ssensibility to the Napa Valley mixing the best of both
> worlds. His wines tend to acentuate the fruit while balancing the
> acidity giving the wines an affinity for food and ageing. Certainly
> one of my personal favorites from Napa.

I pulled my bottle out to have tonight and it is the reserve bottling so
I will report if that was different.

On Apr 11, 10:25�am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote:
> > Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> > Valley Cabernet. �Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> > crystals. �The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> > brickish cast. �Nose of plums and cedar. �Very smooth on the palate,
> > medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> > leather and cedar. �Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> > acidity. �The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> > least another few years. "B+"
>
> Thanks for these notes, Bill. �On another forum, the topic of "classic"
> California Cabernets came up and, along with Montelena, Dunn, Ridge and
> a handful of others I offered Clos du Val as an example. �The wines
> aren't showy or big, but age well and usually develop into something
> tasty. �I'll have to go visit them again when next in Napa.
>
> Mark Lipton
>
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: �http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

If you do stop at Clos du Val you might want to stop at Cliff Lede
Vineyards. Lede is on Yountville Cross about 1/4 mile off Silverado
Trail (the old S. Anderson Winery) in the Stags Leap District.
They're making a pretty good SB and some impressive Cabernet blends
under the Cliff Lede label. They have spent a ton on replanting and
building a new facility and I expect to see Lede in that eleite group
you mentioned in a few years.

On Apr 11, 9:25 am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote:
> > Opened last night with dinnner a bottle of 1991 Clos Du Val Napa
> > Valley Cabernet. Ecellent cork with a fair amount of tartrate
> > crystals. The wine was still a deep reddish purple with a slight
> > brickish cast. Nose of plums and cedar. Very smooth on the palate,
> > medium bodied with bright red fruits, plums, current, a bit of peach,
> > leather and cedar. Fully mature with resolved tannins and a firm
> > acidity. The wine seems to be holding nicely and will be ok for at
> > least another few years. "B+"
>
> Thanks for these notes, Bill. On another forum, the topic of "classic"
> California Cabernets came up and, along with Montelena, Dunn, Ridge and
> a handful of others I offered Clos du Val as an example. The wines
> aren't showy or big, but age well and usually develop into something
> tasty. I'll have to go visit them again when next in Napa.

I still have a few bottles of the 1974 Clos Du Val. It has been mature
a long time, but still is holding. There was a lot of hype about Clos
Du Val back in the 1970s, because the winemaker was a then young man
from France with a father associated with making of Lafite Rothschild.
I am not sure that was all that good an association back then, since
Lafite often did not make as good wine as it now does. The 1974 was a
big wine with much extract and tannin, but much more civilized than
some of the extremely high alcohol and tannic wines then being made by
others. It had a much better balance than many monsters of the 70s.

cwdjrxyz wrote:

> I still have a few bottles of the 1974 Clos Du Val. It has been mature
> a long time, but still is holding. There was a lot of hype about Clos
> Du Val back in the 1970s, because the winemaker was a then young man
> from France with a father associated with making of Lafite Rothschild.
> I am not sure that was all that good an association back then, since
> Lafite often did not make as good wine as it now does. The 1974 was a
> big wine with much extract and tannin, but much more civilized than
> some of the extremely high alcohol and tannic wines then being made by
> others. It had a much better balance than many monsters of the 70s.

Balance certainly describes well those Clos du Val wines from the '70s.
I never had the '74, but did quite enjoy the '77 and '78 Reserve
bottlings. And let's not forget the '72, which was one of the wines
included in the Judgment of Paris in '76. Although it didn't fare that
well in '76, it came out on top in Steven Spurrier's 10th anniversary
tasting in '86 (but again fell in the rankings in the 30th anniversary
tasting).

Mark Lipton


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Apr 11, 12:21 pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> cwdjrxyz wrote:
> > I still have a few bottles of the 1974 Clos Du Val. It has been mature
> > a long time, but still is holding. There was a lot of hype about Clos
> > Du Val back in the 1970s, because the winemaker was a then young man
> > from France with a father associated with making of Lafite Rothschild.
> > I am not sure that was all that good an association back then, since
> > Lafite often did not make as good wine as it now does. The 1974 was a
> > big wine with much extract and tannin, but much more civilized than
> > some of the extremely high alcohol and tannic wines then being made by
> > others. It had a much better balance than many monsters of the 70s.
>
> Balance certainly describes well those Clos du Val wines from the '70s.
> I never had the '74, but did quite enjoy the '77 and '78 Reserve
> bottlings. And let's not forget the '72, which was one of the wines
> included in the Judgment of Paris in '76. Although it didn't fare that
> well in '76, it came out on top in Steven Spurrier's 10th anniversary
> tasting in '86 (but again fell in the rankings in the 30th anniversary
> tasting).

I still have one bottle each of the 1976 regular and the 1978 reserve.
It has been so many years since I tasted either, that I could only
guess at their present condition. I often save the last bottle of a
wine that might keep for many years to see what happens with much more
age.

I am not buying top wines to long age anymore because I have many,
because of my age, and because of the high price. My most recent
interest is in eau de vie, which does not require age. It is easy to
find Kirsch, Framboise and Poire Williams in the US. However some are
very difficult to find here and some do not seem to be available from
anyone. There are a few US micro distillers now making decent examples
of the above mentioned ones as well as Fraise and Douglas Fir(France
has long made Sapin eau de vie from an evergreen tree buds). With much
effort I finally located sources of some in England and Spain. I have
managed to get decent examples of Houx(from holly berries),
Eglantine(Gratte-Cul), Rene Claude, Prunelle Sauvage, Coing,
Myrtille,Sureau etc made in France and rowanberry from Austria. Oddly
enough, I still have not located Peche, although several make it. Then
there are some I do not want to try. One French distiller makes all
sorts of unusual spirits, such as asparagus eau de vie, which I can do
without. He also makes black truffle eau de vie which is quite
expensive.