Clos Henri has done it again!

When we started selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc back in the mid-80s, very few folks had heard of the category or our initial placement, Cloudy Bay.  There was no way of knowing Kiwi Sauvignon would become the behemoth it has. We’ve since sold dozens of different labels over the years and watched some of the current stars like Craggy Range and Greywacke emerge from an industry that really only started in the mid-70s in New Zealand.  The best examples can now hold their own with any Sauvignons produced in the world.

That said, given the short history of Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that one of our favorite sources for Sauvignon Blanc in this part of the world can make the statement that their family has learned the ins and outs of this varietal over the course of 10 generations of winemaking. If you guessed that the folks at Clos Henri aren’t from around there, you’d be right.  The family of Henri Bourgeois are one of the most established in Sancerre and still produce a wide variety of wines in the Loire Valley that seem to be consistently improving. And since New Zealand’s growing season runs counter to that of the Loire Valley they saw no reason they couldn’t establish a base Down Under as well.  

Their 12-year search for vineyard land in New Zealand finally yielded a unique spot where, over the course of their 110 hectares, there is a convergence of 2 distinct geological ages and three different soil types to give them exceptional diversity with which to craft their wines.  Everything thing here is done organically, with the intent the same as in their home base in Sancerre of allowing each terroir to express its individual personality within the context of topflight Sauvignon Blanc.  They make an estate Sauvignon that is an amalgam of all the individual terroirs as well as bottlings from each of the individual terroirs.  They do a great job on all of them, dare we say better than a lot of the ‘locals’.

On their website, there is an extensive discussion about the various geologies that are contained on the estate, about the dense vine planting as well as a lot of info on their intense dedication of sustainability, if you want to go there. Clearly these folks have given it a lot of thought. But we’ll focus on the specifics of Otira, a 1.8-million-year-old deposit of glacial stones and the source of today’s stunning Sauvignon Blanc.

The Clos Henri Otira Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2023 displays a captivating nose of citrus, tropical fruit, rocks (duh) and a hint of very Francais reduction. Taut yet expressive from the get-go, showing exceptional freshness and purity, there is driving tension but also depth and weight to the fruit that keeps everything perfectly proportioned. Loaded with character, this pushes all the right buttons for fans of Sauvignon but stops short of any excesses. In other words, it’s a near perfect example of the varietal and has more in common with Sancerre than with most Kiwi examples out there. It's a heckuva wine that you can even decant if you'd like!

James Suckling’s review, “A clear and balanced sauvignon blanc with sliced spiced pears, apples and lemons and some flint on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with attractive citrus highlights to the aromas above. Drink now.…94 Points!”

And from Erin Larkin at Wine Advocate, “The 2023 Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc is texturally sophisticated, pure and energetic, with back-palate-weighted spices, chalky phenolics and white-scale fruits. This is a restrained, long and persistent wine, and once again, I do love it. This comes highly recommended. 95 Points!”

Wine Advocate's Highest-rated New Zealand Sauvignon of the Vintage...

Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc Otira Glacial Stones Marlborough 2023

95 Points! The 2023 Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc is texturally sophisticated, pure and energetic, with back-palate-weighted spices, chalky phenolics and white-scale fruits. This is a restrained, long and persistent wine, and once again, I do love it. This comes highly recommended. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com