2022 Clos Henri ‘Otira Glacial Stones’ Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

JS96 This is real sauvignon blanc with sliced lemons, dried mango and hints of white pineapple with some stone. It’s full and layered with a density and presence on the palate. Long and flavorful. Phenols hold it together. One of the best NZ sauvignons out there. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Estate Notes: Ripe peach and candied citrus notes are layered with a subtle elderflower approach. Intensely rich, yet balanced, the palate offers weight and texture. Elegant, structured acid complements the juicy notes with good tension. A nod from the terroir, a stony minerality leave a a lengthy and full-bodied finish. 85% stainless steel; 15% wild fermented in older French oak barrels and Austrian oak demi-muids (600L). The wine is then aged on fine yeast lees for 8 months with lees stirring. Alcohol 13.5%.

2022 Clos Henri ‘Otira Glacial Stones’ Sauvignon Blanc, recently awarded 96 points by James Suckling. Produced in New Zealand by the Bourgeois family of Sancerre (the first French family to establish a NZ SB operation), this single-vineyard wine is the result of high-density planting, organic viticulture, and generations of experience in the Loire. 85% stainless steel, 15% neutral barrel/demi-muid, stamped with BioGro organic certification right on the bottle. Technical sheet attached. Much more of a textural and mineral style than is typical of the grass-and-grapefruit mainstream, this is an outstanding wine at a great price.