CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC PRESS

Transcription

1 CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC PRESS CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 accomplished Sauvignon Blanc. Tasted May 12, 2017 Robert Parker s Wine Advocate, 2017, USA 90 points The 2015 Sauvignon Blanc reveals a beguiling combo of white peaches and bouquet garni notes with underlying suggestions of preserved lemons, crushed stones and musk perfume. Light-bodied, refreshingly crisp and bone dry, it fills the palate with citrus and stone fruit flavors, finishing with lingering savory / vegetal notes Lisa Perrotti-Brown, June Bob Campbell MW, June 2017, NZ 95/100, Unusually produced from non-irrigated vines. Delicately aromatic sauvignon blanc with mineral, citrus and subtle herbal flavours. Very textural wine thanks to a 10% barrel-fermented component. A wonderfully pure and subtly complex sauvignon June JoelleThomson.com, April 2017 Clos Henri s flagship white is a bone dry, full bodied different take on the Sauvignon Blanc theme, modelled after Sancerre in Loire Valley. The Marlborough vineyard is planted at high density to restrain the high vigour of Sauvignon Blanc so the vines can put more energy into the grapes rather than the leaf canopy to concentrate the berries. Dry farming (no irrigation) also keeps vigour under control, forcing vine roots deep into the soil. The wine is pale in colour but intense in taste with pronounced aromas of limes, lemons, green apple, grapefruit and even a hint of wild flowers, all supported by a creamy mouthfeel, balanced by high acidity and a long, zesty finish. It was fermented in 90% stainless steel and 10% old French oak barrels, then aged on yeast lees for 8 months with lees stirring, both of which encourage a Sauvignon Blanc with body to burn. It works because of the concentration of fruit flavour in tandem with the winemaking. Tim Appelt, Wine Discovery, May 2017, Canada This is a complex and compelling Sauvignon Blanc from Clos Henri. It is bright pale straw in colour. The nose is slightly smoky, with aromas of grapefruit, red apple, melon and white peach, lightly grassy, with a hint of green herbs. Dry, with high acidity and balanced alcohol, the wine is medium-bodied with some weight and depth from lees stirring. The fruit on the palate seems slightly riper, staying in the grapefruit and peach spectrum, but more firm than fruity, with a drying, mineral finish. A very Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2017, FR Wine Orbit, Jan 2017, NZ 95 points This is a glorious expression; the complex bouquet shows grapefruit, feijoa, nectarine and jasmine with nuances of flint and almond. It is concentrated and impressively weighted on the palate, and delivers waves of attractive flavours and fine texture, superbly

2 structured by juicy acidity. The wine is generous yet elegant, and exhibits awesome power and length. CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 Raymond Chan, Jan 2017, NZ 18.5/20 Bright, pale straw-yellow colour with some depth and green hues on the rim. The nose is very refined and firmly concentrated with penetrating aromas of gooseberries, white stonefruits and white florals, unfolding nuances of fresh herbs. The aromatics are taut and tightly bound, unfolding soft nuances of minerals. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is tight and firmly concentrated with a core of gooseberries and white stonefruits, white florals and chalky minerals. The fruit shows depth, fruit extract, fine body and textural presence, along with a fine line of crisp acidity lending drive and adding to the linearity. The wine carries to a tightly bound, elegantly lingering finish of stonefruits, minerals and herbs. This is a refined, taut and firm Sauvignon Blanc with white stonefruit and gooseberry flavours, mineral notes and plenty of fruit extract and crisp acidity. Serve as an aperitif and with seafood over the next 2-3 years. MS clone fruit from Greywacke riverstone soils, vines 8-13 y.o., fermented in stainless-steel with 10% in seasoned French oak barrels to 13.5% alc. and <1.0 g/l RS, the wine aged 8 months on lees with batonnage. Blue Lifestyle, April 2017, California, USA Tangy and silky with juicy, bright style with lime and minerals; fresh, racy and showing hints of feline; pure and balanced, long and generous. Cameron Douglas MS, October points Complex, enticing bouquet of white flowers and honeysuckle, gooseberry and fresh herb, peach and a little baked apple add further density and power. On the palate dry, subtle spice, citrus zest and plenty of pure fruit flavours, firm acid bite and great palate presence with great texture and length. Dina Viner Professional Edition, Sweden August points Young fresh wine with clean fruit, good balance. Hints of grape fruit, gooseberry, pomelo, oyster shell and mineral. Wine Enthusiast, USA 93 points & Top 100 Wines of 2016 This property excels in some vintages,and the 2015 is a huge success. It's certainly complex, effortlessly combining hints of pungency with soothing notes of grapefruit. In the mouth, it's fairly full and creamy in texture, then punctuates that richness with a long, vibrant finish. Joe Czerwinsky, November 2016 Cuisine Magazine Tasting, Oct 2016, NZ 4 ½ stars French winemaker Damien Yvon has given us a distinctive expression, one where flintiness and spiciness (eg chorizo and chargrilled capsicum) tango with Rose s lime juice notes. Firm, lively acidity provides the backbone. Lovely weight and depth, noted Ben Glover. International Wine & Spirits Competition 2016 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2016, FR Challenge Millésime BIO, January 2016, FR Raymond Chan, Jan 2016, NZ 18.5/20 Full, bright, light straw-yellow colour with pale green hues. The nose is very elegant and tightly bound with finely expressed aromas of passionfruit entwined with green stonefruits, nectarines and mineral notes. The aromatics are detailed with very good intensity and are refreshing and mouthwatering. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate is elegantly proportioned with a tight core of harmoniously melded flavours of passionfruit and green stonefruits. The textures are refined with very fine phenolics and balanced, lacy, refreshing acidity. As the wine flows, complexing herb,

3 nettle, lime and mineral detail unfolds. The palate is taut and has excellent linear drive, and leads to a long, elegant, thirst-quenching finish. This is an elegant, tautly concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with subtle oaking, mineral detail and linear drive. Serve with seafood and Pacific Rim fare over the next 2 years. Michael Cooper Buyer s Guide 2016, NZ The Clos Henri Vineyard near Renwick is owned by Henri Bourgeois, a leading, familyowned producer in the Loire Valley, which feels this wine expresses 'a unique terroir and French winemaking approach'. A sophisticated and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc, in top years it's a joy to drink. The 2014 vintage ( ½) was hand-picked and mostly fermented and matured for eight months on its yeast lees in tanks; 10 per cent was fermented in old barrels. Mouthfilling, it is sweet-fruited, with ripe tropical-fruit flavours, showing good intensity, a slightly biscuity complexity, good mouthfeel and texture, and a dry, rounded finish. Best drinking mid Certified organic. Cuisine Magazine, Sept 2015, NZ 4. Creamy textured Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, gooseberry, mineral and a seasoning of hazelnut lees flavours. Quite a grassy style but with concentration and some complexity Wine NZ Magazine (Edition Summer 2014/2015) Clos Henri s flagship Sauvignon displayed some barrel-fermented character which Skilton described as well judged. The oak is subtle and contributes a smoky, oatmeal note. There s plenty of ripe fruit and good acidity in this attractive wine. Skilton It has great palate texture, with some flinty complexity and a shift from primary fruit to secondary notes. Very good. Materman Creamy textured palate, good use of oak and attractive spine of citrus and mineral. - Burzynska Robert Parker s Wine Advocate, USA Opening with pronounced capsicum and vegetal notes amid an underlying apple and gooseberry core that is accented by a waft of wet pebbles, the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc delights with delicate flavors of pea pods, herbs and green apples plus a real pebbly character coming through in the long finish. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Dec 2014 CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 Wine Enthusiast, USA It s interesting to compare this to the 2014, which I also tasted recently. The 2013 is balanced and silky by comparison, with a fine tapestry of interwoven aromas ranging from pineapple and mixed citrus to charming herbaceousness and fresh-cut grass. Pink grapefruit flavors linger on the finish. Concours Mondial du Sauvignon Blanc 2015, FR Gold Medal Bob Campbell MW. 93/100, 4. Sydney International Wine Competition (SIWC) 2015, AUS Gold medal Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2014, NZ Pure Gold medal Michael Cooper Buyer s Guide 2015, NZ 4. A sophisticated and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc, in top years it's a joy to drink. The 2013 vintage was hand-picked and mostly fermented and matured for eight months on its yeast lees in tanks; 10 per cent was fermented in old barrels. Freshly scented, it is mouthfilling and sweetfruited, with ripe tropical-fruit flavours, showing a touch of complexity, balanced acidity and a

4 bone-dry, youthful finish. Best drinking Certified organic IWSC 2014 The Wine Front, July 2014, NZ 93+ points This wine sees a little French oak in the winemaking. Immediately a kind of wet stone or puff of struck flint, whiff of mealiness, then some citrussy perfume, lemon blossom or similar followed on with some regular grassiness. Nice. Tight and tangy to taste blistering with acidity, quick across the palate and finishing really zesty with a drizzle of prickly mineral water-like minerality. Nice! Delicious drinking, but you ll have to steel yourself for the bracing, refreshing acidity. Mike Bennie CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 JamesSuckling.com, Oct 2014 Passion fruit cream and papaya provide the fruit aromas here, leading to a palate that shows vibrant acidity and a tropical, sherbet-like finish. Drink now. Nick Stock The Globe and Mail, July 2014, CAN It seems to me that it s mostly the Europeans who pride themselves on crafting white wines with tension. They have a word for that highstrung acidity: nervosité. Here s a wine with that sort of electric zing, which I adore. But wait, it s from Clos Henri, the New Zealand outpost of the family that owns Henri Bourgeois, a prominent producer in Sancerre in the Loire Valley, where sauvignon blanc is as wonderfully tense as it comes. It s bone-dry, light-mediumbodied and tangy, more citrus than vegetables. Then you sense it the white pepper and stonelike mineral quality. Lovely for light salads. Available in Ontario. Beppi Crosariol The Wine Front NZ, Jan points Light aromas of florals, pot pourri, some mealiness, savoury nuttiness and a whiff of grassy herbal things. It s very tight and chiselled across the palate with lemon-scented passionfruit and fine, lacy chalky phenolics. Trimmed down and toned, very elegant and lengthy. Super wine. Drink : The New Zealand Herald, August 2013, NZ Taut and flinty, there s a lovely intensity to this Marlborough expression from the renowned French sauvignon producer, with notes of herb, melon, green fruits and citrus. Wine & Spirits Magazine, August 2014, US Their 2012 is an earthy, soil-driven wine with depths of flavour from the lees. The golden color and floral intensity makes it a wine for white meats, such as veal schnitzel. The Toronto Star, July 2014, CAN If you want to step up in luxury, the Clos Henri 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is a dazzler, with lemongrass, gooseberry, grapefruit and passion fruit zestiness. If you are a diehard NZ fan, this one should seduce your senses. Gord Stimmell Winestate Magazine Michael Cooper s Best of 2013 Releases Wall Street Journal Top 15 NZ Sauvignon Blanc by Will Lyons Given its name, it s no surprise that this wine takes its inspiration from Sancerre and Pouilly- Fumé in France. Restrained and subtle, it marries soft, gentle tropical fruit notes with a dry, pleasant finish. An obvious choice to pair with food.

5 Bob Campbell, MW 95/100, Taut, focused wine with a strong wet stones mineral character together with more subtle gooseberry, green capsicum and nut flavours. Tight, powerful wine with a lengthy finish and an appealing texture. Robert Parker s Wine Advocate, USA Presenting relatively delicate notes of yuzu zest, lemon peel and orange blossoms intermingled with hints of fresh peaches, lime leaves and lemongrass, the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is medium-bodied and tightly knit in the mouth with great fruit and acid tension. It finishes with great persistence and freshness. Drink it now to Lisa Perrotti-Brown Buyer s Guide to NZ Wine 2014, NZ The 2012 was hand-picked and mostly fermented and matured for eight months on its yeast lees in tanks; 5 per cent was barrel fermented. A finely textured, sweet-fruited wine, it is mouthfilling and rounded, with great drinkability. It has rich melon/lime flavours, showing imporessive freshness, delicacy and depth, in a bone-dry finish. - Michael Cooper Wine Orbit, May 2013, NZ 95 points This is precise and focused, and promises to develop gradually and gracefully. The elegant bouquet shows white peach, floral, dill and flinty characters. It's concentrated and tightly framed on the palate with lovely texture and bright acidity. An outstanding example of a restrainedstyle sauvignon, the exquisite flavours linger on for so long. - Sam Kim rock star of a sauvignon in a class of its own. John Hawkesby Gourmet Traveller WINE, Oct/Nov 2013, AUS The Clos Henri had characters that I saw as floral, passionfruit and lychee leading to a crisp, brisk palate. Hooke took a different slant, noting restrained aromas straw, hay in the green spectrum. Good intensity with a linear profile and long flavours. I could drink a lot of this! We all agreed on the wine s freshness and life. The wine s a contrast with owner Henri Bourgeois s wines from his native France, but vive la difference! - Bob Campbell MW. Winestate Magazine, July/Aug 2013, AUS Finely textured, sweet-fruited wine, mouthfilling and rounded, with great drinkability. Rich melon/lime flavours, showing impressive freshness, delicacy and depth, in a subtle, nonherbaceous style with leesy notes adding complexity and a fine thread of acidity. Michael Cooper The Yorkshire Journal, Jan 2013, UK Actually, one of Sancerre s finest growers has a vineyard in Marlborough Henri Bourgeois makes Clos Henri there. It s a bigger, richer and rounder wine than his superb Sancerre and is perhaps my favourite New Zealand sauvignon. Phil Parrish Decanter World Wine Awards, 2013 Silver The New Zealand Herald, Oct 2013, NZ Marlborough sauvignon but not as we know it or expect it to be. This is a wine of intense character, an expressive wine with elements of mystique, topped up with an appealing dry finish. Superb on its own or an excellent match with seafood, light white meats and salads. Un Concours Mondial Du Sauvignon 2013 Silver

6 CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 Decanter, August 2015, UK 90 points Individual judges scores: Melanie Brown 16.5, Roger Jones 16.5, Peter McCombie MW 18.5 Attractive aromas with an understated minerality. Wet stones and cut grass with freshly cut tomato leaves and a lovely integration of fruit and barrel. Gooseberry finishes off this balanced wine. Decanter, UK 17.5/20 points Delicate nose of green peas and passion fruit. Full bodied and weighty but balanced by fine acidity. Long lifted finish. Drink Sante Magazine, USA Floral and fruit, with apple blossom, mandarin orange, grapefruit, and guava aromas, over a striking mineral base. Fresh on the palate, with grapefruit, lemon, and limestone flavors. Balanced, satisfying finish. Delicious. Bob Campbell MW, NZ 94 points Quite soft Sauvignon with gentle acidity and subtle mineral, gooseberry and lemon grass flavours. Restrained and quite classy wine that delivers power with great subtlety. A small percentage of barrel fermented wine adds a little complexity while keeping flavours in check. Decanter Magazine, July 2013, UK Highly Recommended, 90 points Attractive aromas with an understated minerality. Wet stones and cut grass with freshly cut tomato leaves and a lovely integration of fruit and barrel. Gooseberry finishes off this balanced wine. Wine NZ Magazine, May 2013, NZ Editor s Choice Delightful minerality to accompany the characters that come from the lees stirring notes and partial barrel fermentation and ripe tropical flavours are accompanied by some weighty texture and a fine acid balance. - Martin Gillion Sydney International Wine & Spirits Competition 2013, AUS Top 100, Blue-Gold medal This is beaut! Great fruit. Lots of layering. Big complexity. Struck match minerality working well here. This is a very smart wine and with food it was terrific. That artefact combined with the miso, salt and fish curry makes a fantastic combination. - Mark Robertson, Judge A rich, complex and welcoming nose. Warm and gentle with ripe fruits on the palate. A nice mineral twist and good flavour complexity and range. It still looked complete and complex with the salmon dish. - Oliver Masters, Judge The Good Wine Guide 2013, AUS A thoyl-influenced nose showing tropical and gooseberry fruits. Citrus fruits and tropical nuance fill out the mid-palate nicely, which shows plenty of texture, minerality and taut acid drive. A lovely progression of the style. Nick Stock Wine Orbit, NZ 95 points As you had expect from this French-inspired style, the wine is a departure from the typical Marlborough Sauvignon. This is delicately flavoured yet not short on fruit concentration, exhibiting flint, white peach, grapefruit and dill characters on the nose. The palate is taut and linear with superb mid palate weight, finishing exceptionally long, backed by beautifully integrated acidity. It is a delight to taste this wine now but it will be so much better further time in bottle. Sam Kim

7 Winestate Magazine, AUS Right on form. Classic, fleshy, Wairau Valley style, with good weight and ripe tropical fruit flavours, fresh and strong. Finely poised, with good acid spine and a dry, rich finish. Michael Cooper Jancis Robinson, UK 17.5 / 20 Grassy and stony at the same time. A bit flintyprobably a touch reductive but in an attractive way. Tight and almost lean but all the more refreshing. Pure and long with grapefruity mouthwatering finish. You can see (and enjoy) the European restraining influence here. - Julia Harding. Huon Hooke, AUS 94 points Light, bright yellow colour. Very fresh and clean to sniff, with no herbaceous, sweat, or passionfruity aromas. There is the merest touch of tropical fruits with attractive stonefruit/nectarine suggestions. The lively acidity is balanced and fresh, not searing or green. Properly ripe in all respects. Lip-smacking acid and flavour. Great line and length: an excellent sauvignon blanc. Raymond Chan, NZ 4 stars Full, deep and layered aromas of ripe gooseberries and subtle passionfruit notes show with herbs and citrus zest and some flinty lees, the bouquet almost brooding. Dry with good weight and presence, the palate subtly builds with flavours of gooseberries, stone fruits and limes to become mouth filling. Soft in texture, yet with fine, crisp acidity, the weight and fruit extract is clear. The finish is crisp, dry and with good length. The Michelangelo CCL Label International Wine Awards 2012, SA Gold Buyer s Guide to NZ Wines 2013, NZ A sophisticated and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc, in top years, it s a joy to drink. The 2011 vintage is right on form. It's a classic, fleshy Wairau Valley style, with good weight and ripe tropical-fruit flavours, fresh and strong. Michael Cooper CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 Silver Metro Magazine June 2012, NZ Top 10 Gold-flecked hues, a restrained and very tight bouquet, and lots of ripe, pithy fruit with honeysuckle and meaty oatmeal notes. This is a substantial wine with a really dry finish. One for the table. Paul Tudor MW Bordeaux 2011 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2011 Special Trophy Gold The Marlborough Wine Show 2012, NZ Silver Forks & Corks Wine Show 2013 Gold

8 Good Wine Guide 2012 The complexity and focus is striking here. This is ripe and fragrant, with flinty notes, grapefruit, lime and lemon, gooseberry, blackcurrant and fresh minerality lift- an amazing wine on the nose alone. The palate delivers more excitement, with ripe, juicy tropical-fruit and citrus flavors at the core, plenty of lees-derived texture and vineyard drive, finishing fresh and full of energy. Grab a bottle and preview the future of great Marlborough sauvignon. Nick Stock Michael Cooper s Buyer s Guide /100 Drinking well, but still developing, it is fullbodied and sweet-fruited, with layers of stone fruit, lime and faintly nutty flavours, slightly minerally, dry, poised and long. 91/100 Eight percent of the Clos Henri 2010 Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in old French oak barrels with lees stirring for 8 months. It offers intense notes of fresh grapefruit and gooseberries with nuances of mandarin peel, crushed stones, oyster shells and peach blossom. Medium bodied with a lovely silkiness to the texture, it has a good backbone of crisp acid cutting through the ripe, expressive fruit, finishing long and minerally. Delicious now, it should remain good to Bob Campbell MW 95/100 The flagship Sauvignon Blanc for Clos Henri has 10% barrel fermentation and extended lees contact. The yeast lees influence adds an extra dimension of complexity while adding richness to the texture. Strong stony mineral, gooseberry with subtle grassy, citrus notes. Very impressive Sauvignon in a bone dry style. Great food wine. 100 Must Try NZ Wines Clos Henri is a notably ripe style of Sauvignon Blanc with rich tropical-fruit flavours and a minerally thread. Fresh, punchy and dry, it shows excellent depth, complexity and roundness. A sophisticated wine, in top vintages it s a joy to drink. - Michael Cooper CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC /20 Brilliant Straw-yellow in colour, this has a very youthful, tightly bound bouquet of herbs, gooseberries, steel and minerals, quite piquant and piercing, allied to ripe yellow capsicum nuances. Dry and exceptionally fine-featured, with elegant and tightly bound English gooseberry, herb and mineral flavours. The acidity provides finesse and cut, adding an edge of purity to the expression. A refined Sauvignon Blanc to grace the dinner table. Bob Campbell MW Attractive wine from Sancerre producer 95/100 Henri Bourgeois although in an unmistakable Marlborough style. Intense and very pure with good mineral, gooseberry and lemon grass flavours. Impressively textured wine with a suggestion of yeast lees influence. 91/100 The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc gives intense aromas of white peach, grapefruit peel, lemon rind, lime leaf, wet pebbles and a pleasantly savory yeasty/toastiness. Medium bodied and refreshingly crisp on the palate, the concentrated flavors have a wonderfully appealing silky texture and the finish is long and layered. drinking now, it should remain fresh to 2014.

9 4/5 suggestion of tropical fruit characters. Silkentextured wine with a lengthy finish. Henri Bourgeois, one of the Loire's most noted producers, started his Kiwi operation in Five years on and this 2008 is expressive yet restrained, with a mineral core couched in nettley, gooseberry fruit, evolving to reveal lime, apple, herbs and rhubarb. Zest, vitality and lots of class. CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008 Bob Campbell MW 94/100 Gentle, flavoursome wine with appealing purity. Subtle lees characters add extra interest to mineral, lemon grass, green capsicum and tomato leaf flavours. Appealing wine with character and class from one of Sancerre s better producers. May 2009 Dry, assertive wine that s a mix of green capsicum and lemon grass flavours with subtle,savoury, yeasty characters. Sauvignon Blanc with power that s delivered with finesse. Fine-grained wine with a lengthy finish. October 2008 Gourmet Traveller WINE Magazine 91/100 Clos Henri is the Marlborough arm of top Sancerre producer Henri Bourgeois. On both sides of the world he makes wines that focus on texture as much as taste. This is a dry, assertive wine with a mix of green capsicum and lemon grass flavours with subtle, savoury, yeasty characters. A fine-grained Sauvignon Blanc with good mouthfeel and a lengthy finish. CLOS HENRI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2006 Bob Campbell MW 93/100 A gently aromatic herbaceous style with good concentration of sweet capsicum, lemon grass and lime blossom flavours. There s also a