By Clos du Val
2019 'Yettalil' Stags Leap District Napa Valley

History
Clos du Val, French for 'small vineyard estate of a small valley,' was founded in 1972 in the renowned Stags Leap District. The winery was first recognized for its Cabernet Sauvignon at the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976, establishing it as one of Napa Valley's most iconic winery estates. Still family-owned today, Clos du Val farms two estate vineyards in the Stags Leap District and Yountville appellations and continues to craft wines of balance and complexity, showcasing the fruit from the outstanding terroir on which their estate lies.

Harvest
Following heavy winter rainfall, the 2019 harvest was mild, with only a few heat spikes. Due to these ideal weather conditions, the wine's flavor developed on the vine for an extended period, resulting in powerful, impeccably balanced wines.

Technical Details
Appellation: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Harvested: September 24th to October 26th, 2019
Bottled: July 22nd, 2021
Aging: In new French oak
Alcohol: 14.50%
pH: 3.6
Acid: 6.20 g/L

Tasting Notes
The 2019 Yettalil opens with aromas of fresh blackberry, ripe plum, and racy cassis layered with hints of violet, bay leaf, and thyme. Beautifully balanced and elegant on the palate, vibrant acidity and polished tannins give way to a concentrated black cherry, vanilla, and cedar core. The texture is velvety and plush, with a backbone of graphite and dark chocolate that lingers through a long finish.
[Information provided by Clos du Val]

Wine: 2019 Clos du Val Yettalil
Score/Rating: 95
Suggested Drinking Window: 2023 - 2042
Review Date: 02/16/2023
Reviewed By: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Tasting Notes: The 2019 Yettalil is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out with energetic notes of crushed black and red currants, warm black plums, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of cedar, violets, and Indian spice with a waft of tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is lively and well-structured, featuring firm, ripe tannins to frame the muscular fruits, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.

Wine: 2019 Clos du Val Red Blend Yettalil
Score/Rating: 94
Suggested Drinking Window: 2023 - 2038
Review Date: 12/26/2023
Reviewed By: Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes: Lastly, the 2019 Red Blend Yettalil is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec that's all from the Stags Leap District. Currants, black raspberries, savory herbs, lead pencil shavings, and camphor are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's a beautiful complex, layered, nuanced 2019 that readers will love.

Wine: 2019 Clos du Val Yettalil Red Wine
Score/Rating: 94
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040
Review Date: 05/31/2022
Reviewed By: Joe Czerwinski
Tasting Notes: A Bordeaux-inspired blend, the 2019 Yettalil Red Wine is considerably darker, deeper and richer than the Napa Valley Cabernet. Scents of cassis, pencil shavings, loam and mocha all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is expansive and velvety without getting jammy or overly broad. Perhaps most important, for a wine that will presumably be consumed along savory dishes, it's nicely savory itself, with earthy notes and gentle tannins punctuating the long finish.

Wine: Clos du Val Napa Valley Stags Leap District Yettalil 2019
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 02/16/2022
Reviewed By: James Suckling
Tasting Notes: A dense nose of blackcurrant, woody spice and crushed blackberry. Full-bodied and rich. Slightly chewy tannins. Vanilla and toasted herbs on the cozy, plush palate. Nicely balanced and intense. Really pure dark-fruit character. [...]

Wine: Clos Du Val 2019 Yettalil
Score/Rating: 93
Suggested Drinking Window: 2026 - 2039
Review Date: 09/2021
Reviewed By: Antonio Galloni
Tasting Notes: The 2019 Yettalil is new flagship wine in this range that replaces the Three Graces. Delicate and understated, the 2019 is not particularly expressive today. There is a bit of tightness that suggests the 2019 is recovering from its recent bottling. Even so, my impression is that this is a work in progress.

Wine: Clos Du Val Yettalil Stags Leap District 2019
Score/Rating: 92
Suggested Drinking Window: Drink now through 2032
Review Date: 08/31/2022
Reviewed By: James Molesworth
Tasting Notes: Shows solidly ripe plum, cassis and cherry preserves, which have a loamy edge to them while maintaining nice definition through the tobacco- and cedar-accented finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Drink now through 2032.

Wine: Clos du Val, Yettalil, Stags Leap District, California, United States, 2019
Score/Rating: 91 - Silver
Tasting Notes: Glossy oak on the nose, showing aromas of vanilla, coconut, blackberry, cassis, dark cherries and cardamom. Minty palate, ample structure.

Wine: Clos du Val 2019 Yettalil Red (Stags Leap District)
Score/Rating: 90 - Cellar Selection
Suggested Drinking Window: 2029 - 2034
Review Date: 10/01/2022
Reviewed By: Virginie Boone
Tasting Notes: Tangy and dry in cranberry and blackberry, this structured, ageworthy wine combines a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. [...] it is full bodied and dense, with strong notes of toasted oak and grippy tannin. Enjoy best 2029-2034.