Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Very classy with a fragrant nose of ripe lemons, subtle elderflowers, hay and lime zest, accented by a touch of sea spray. The palate is crisp and razor-focused with a backbone of racy acidity and a firm, lightly phenolic structure. Extremely long and precise.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc is just such a fantastic wine. I love it every year. Mineral tension, poise and elongated shape are the hallmarks of this wine. The wine has a smell of fresh sheets, crisp, crushed shells, white spice and ocean air. I appreciate the length and stretch of this wine—it fully extends and lingers, and there is a textural pulsing and undulation. It is truly excellent. 2024 was a warm vintage and produced wines of amplitude and volume, yet here the terroir has compressed the fruit into its own shape. So, with the coupling of the season and the terroir, we have this. It's a triumph among triumphs. The numbers of this wine are mad/impressive to behold: very low pH (2.97), a good level of total acidity (6.5) and 14% alcohol. Years of high-density planting and organic management (since 2010, certified 2013) in this place has enabled a wine of balance to achieve these numbers. Sealed under Diam.
-
Wine Enthusiast
There's a gentleness to this single site Sauvignon, from a top French-owned biodynamic estate. It's concentrated, flavorsome, but never forced or over-made. There's pronounced minerality—like stones, shells and fresh cut meadow crunching underfoot—and salted margarita vibes, with pineapple rind garnish. Bright, tangy acidity and herb-and-citrus flavors aren't shy on the palate, but they never shout their presence. Mouth-watering and textural enough to be food friendly; the mineral core anchors a ship of flavor.
Editors' Choice -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
I have followed the Clos Henri wines over the years, and they have consistently shown well. The 2024 Otira Glacial Stones offers rich aromas of sun-dried stones and lifted mineral notes. On the palate, it is lively and precise, carrying dried citrus and a persistent minerality through the finish. Enjoy it with New Zealand green-lipped mussels steamed with garlic and herbs. (Tasted: November 30, 2025, San Francisco, CA, USA)
-
Wine Spectator
Firm and juicy, with pear, crunchy star fruit and white peach flavors up front, plus details of orange blossoms, candied kumquat and fresh lemon on the long, mouthwatering finish.
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.