Clos du Bois

Winery History

Vineyard in front of mountains and cloudsClos du Bois crafted its first vintage in 1974 from 520 acres of grapes in Sonoma County’s then little-known Alexander Valley. Since that time the Alexander Valley has become one of the world’s most prestigious wine producing regions. Clos du Bois has also become one of the region’s most renowned wineries, famous for elegant, soft and approachable wines.

All the French you need to know

The name, in case you wondered, reportedly originates from founder Frank Woods’ plan to name the new winery “Woods Vineyard.” His children, who were studying French at the time, suggested the more exotic “Clos du Bois” instead, which loosely translates to “enclosure in the woods.”
First releases

The winery’s premier releases in 1974 featured the Classic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with a proprietor’s reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We introduced the Vineyard Designates program in 1978 with our red Bordeaux-style blend, Marlstone and Briarcrest. The whites, Calcaire and Flintwood, joined the series in 1979 and 1980.
Round out the Classics

We added Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc to the Sonoma County Classic tier in the 1980s. Zinfandel rounded out that series in the early 1990s as the first wine added to the portfolio after the winery moved to its current Alexander Valley location, just outside the tiny town of Geyserville.
Explore an Appellation

In the 1990s we created our special Appellation Reserve Series to explore the taste subtleties of particular wine growing regions — or appellations. That series launched with our Alexander Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1994, followed over the next three years by the Alexander Valley Reserve Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, and Tempranillo. The Dry Creek Valley Reserve Zinfandel and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir completed the series in 2002.
Changing of the Guard

In June 2003 Clos du Bois entered an exciting new era when esteemed winemaker Erik Olsen joined our winery family. Erik’s extraordinary resume and years of award-winning experience have already made their mark on Clos du Bois. We invite you to taste our latest vintages to find out for yourself.
The Exploration Continues

Since 2000, Clos du Bois has released the Russian River Valley Reserve Pinot Noir, Dry Creek Valley Reserve Zinfandel, Alexander Valley Reserve Shiraz and Classic Shiraz. The Tasting Room has offered visitors access to the winery-exclusive Alexander Valley Reserve Fume Blanc and Malvasia Bianca. Our Reserve Chardonnay is now sourced from the Russian River Valley, bringing a stylish new flavor profile to this wine. And all of our wines — from Classics to Marlstone — sport elegant new labels, a mark of the continued refinement of our winemaking style.
Introducing the Proprietary Series

Perhaps Erik’s biggest influence thus far has been the shift in our upper tier wines. Isolating vineyards from the Winemakers Reserve and Vineyard Designate winemaking programs to create a new Reserve Tier — the Proprietary Series — has elevated Marlstone, Briarcrest and Calcaire to new achievements in winemaking. Richer, fuller, more intense. Expect great things from the upcoming vintages of these wines.

Link to Clos du Bois