Winemaker Notes
Showing vivacity, concentration and brightness, the Estate wines are crafted from both their glacial stones and windblown clay terroirs. Combining the best nuances of Marlborough and our Sancerre heritage, this organic Sauvignon Blanc is our flagship wine from the Clos Henri estate in Blenheim.
Serve with ceviche, Thai green curry, tomato and goat’s cheese tart.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very Sancerre-like with subtle lemon rind, light white pepper and green melon. The palate is refined and polished with hints of orange blossoms at the end. Pretty acidity. Sophisticated sauvignon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is ripe and concentrated on the nose, with persimmon and tangelo, lemon rind and green apple. In the mouth, the wine is possessed of an array of flavors, from salted nuts, almond meal, vanilla pod and caper brine right through to a cavalcade of citrus fruits and a suggestion of coriander/cilantro. This is eminently sophisticated, yet it delivers the Marlborough intensity and focus of acidity and fruit. It's excellent. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.