It was the sincerest form of flattery. Eager to expand into the New World, Domaine Famille Bourgeois, a prestigious producer in Sancerre, in France’s Loire Valley, bought a 98ha property near Renwick in 2001, in the heart of Wairau Valley. After scouring the globe for 12 years, Famille Bourgeois had selected Marlborough as the best place “to make the wines we want to produce – sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.”
The Bourgeois family craft some of France’s finest sauvignon blancs. They are not “simply after a herbaceous quality” in their Marlborough bottlings at Clos Henri Vineyard. “Rather, we want sauvignon blanc to show roundness, richness, texture – all the attributes we associate with fine wine.”
Clos Henri Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023
★★★★½
Organically certified, this estate wine was cultivated in stony and clay soils and handled in stainless steel tanks. Bright lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, vigorous, crisp and dry, with strong, ripe, tropical fruit flavours to the fore, hints of herbs and green capsicums, savoury notes and a lingering finish. Still youthful, it should be at its best 2025+. (13.5% alc/vol) $22-$28
Clos Henri Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★
This hand-picked red was aged in large French oak vats, rather than small casks, in search of “aromatic intensity” and a subtle oak influence. Full, bright ruby, with an invitingly floral bouquet, it is mouthfilling, with generous, berryish, slightly nutty flavours showing good complexity and harmony. Already enjoyable, it’s a drink-now or cellaring proposition. Certified organic. (14% alc/vol) $33-$35
Clos Henri Waimaunga Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★★
This impressive red was grown in clay-based soils, hand-harvested, and matured for a year in French oak barrels (20% new). Deep, bright ruby, it is a fleshy, mouthfilling, sweet-fruited wine, with concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, nutty, earthy, savoury notes adding complexity, refined tannins and a sustained finish. A powerful young red, it’s well worth cellaring to 2026+. Certified organic. (14.5% alc/vol) $50
Wine of the week
Clos Henri Waimaunga Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023
★★★★★
This classy, distinctive wine was grown in windblown clay soils and mostly handled in tanks; 15% of the blend was barrel-fermented. Weighty and fleshy, it is sweet-fruited, with notable flavour richness and complexity, balanced acidity, and a very finely textured, long finish. Already delicious, it should break into full stride mid-2025+. Certified organic. (14% alc/vol) $39
