Third Generation Seeks to Build on Family Legacy in Drive Toward the Future
NAPA, Calif. (January 17, 2024) – Third generation owner Olav Goelet has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer at Clos du Val in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. He joined the family operation in 2019 and served as Clos du Val’s Head of Winegrowing as well as Chairman of the Board.
Olav is taking on the role held the past few years by Mike Holden, who will continue working with the winery in an advisory role.
“Clos du Val has held a special place for me and my family my entire life,” said Olav. “For more than 50 years we’ve been on a mission to craft the best expression of Bordeaux varietals outside of France. We benefit from a half century of history and knowledge but always have an eye on the future.”
Clos du Val is a third-generation, family-owned winery in the heart of Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District. Clos du Val specializes in fresh, elegant, Bordeaux-style wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The flagship wine of the estate is Yettalil.
The wines of Clos du Val are unique due to its philosophy of blending varietals together to create the complete expression of its vineyards. The winery is surrounded by its 120-acre Hirondelle Vineyard.
“Over the last five years, we’ve been on a journey to recapture the identity of the winery and the legacy my grandparents and founding winemaker Bernard Portet created,” Olav continued. “Having set the course for our next 50 years, we approach all our actions and choices through a lens of chasing the highest quality outcome possible. Sharing the purity of fruit that can be achieved from our vineyards while ensuring we not only sustain but improve the health and vitality of the land we steward.”
In his new capacity, Olav will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the business. Since joining full time in 2019, he has been involved in setting the overall vision for the business and driving important changes, including bringing on Winemaker Carmel Greenberg in 2021 and Viticulture and Grower Relations Manager Ryan Decker in early 2022.
“The choices my grandparents made around location, philosophy and style set us on a path that inspires us daily,” Olav said. “We know we are stewards of an incredible legacy and an awe-inspiring property right in the heart of the Stags Leap District. We take that responsibility seriously, which is why we like to think in terms of decades.”
The winery opened its first public tasting room in 1983 with the idea that people should feel welcome and comfortable enjoying wine. In 2018, they unveiled a new tasting room that held true to that initial philosophy.
“As a family-owned winery, we want people to feel like they are joining us in our home, not our workplace,” Olav said. “If they feel well taken care of, and the time of the day has suddenly slipped away, then we have succeeded.”
About Clos du Val
Fresh, elegant, Bordeaux-inspired, timeless. These are more than our guiding principles in the cellar; they are what you will find in every bottle of Clos du Val wine, whether you enjoy it today or in years to come. Founded in 1972, Clos du Val has always focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals that marry strength with grace. www.closduval.com
