Which makes better Sauvignon Blanc, the Loire Valley or Marlborough?
The Loire versus Marlborough debate about which region makes the best Sauvignon Blanc will rumble on for years to come, with each side proclaiming victory. The Loirists can point to the fact that they have the original home of Sauvignon Blanc and the famous duo (amongst others) of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Marlboroughites may boast that very few people even knew what Sauvignon Blanc was before they started making it a world famous variety, and no other region can rival their Savvy’s aromatics.
Domaine Henri Bourgeois and Clos Henri
On the sidelines we have Sancerre based producer Domaine Henri Bourgeois, now in the capable hands of the tenth generation of winemakers, who has ventured down to Aotearoa to establish their own take on Marlborough Sauvignon, Clos Henri. It was set up in Marlborough’s most popular subregion, Wairau Valley, which has greywacke (whence Kevin Judd’s outfit takes its name) soil, essentially gravels and pebbles laid down over millennia by the wandering Wairau river. Viticulture is practising, but not certified, organic
Clos Henri has six wines, three whites (Sauvignon Blanc) and three reds (Pinot Noir) with three labels each:
- Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc: 8 – 13 year old vines on greywacke
- Bel Echo Sauvignon Blanc: 9 – 13 year old vines on clay
- Petit Clos Sauvignon Blanc: 3 – 7 year old vines on greywacke and clay
- Clos Henri Pinot Noir: 8 – 13 year old vines on clay
- Bel Echo Pinot Noir: 8 – 13 year old vines on greywacke
- Petit Clos Pinot Noir: 3 – 7 year old vines on clay and greywacke
Note how greywacke is the optimum soil for Sauvignon and clay for Pinot.
Clos Henri “Petit Clos” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019
As you can ascertain from the information above, Petit Clos Sauvignon Blanc is made using young vines predominantly grown on greywacke soil. Following Sancerre practices, vines are planted close together to make them compete for nutrients and encourage them to focus their energy on producing fruit more than foliage. Clos Henri is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to best preserve aromatics, but it also enjoys three months of bâtonnage which both helps preserve the wine and gives it a creamy, rounded texture.
The noses shows grassy aromas (harking back to Sancerre again), plus citrus notes such as lime and grapefruit. These continue onto the palate where they are joined by some lighter tropical notes – pineapple and passionfruit. This wine has a dry finish and excellent length. It is far more elegant than the vast majority of Marlborough Sauvignons, and that’s where the Bourgeois family’s Loire expertise comes into play – it really is the best of both worlds.
- ABV: 13.0%
- RRP: €19.95 or €13.95 when on offer
- Source: purchased from O’Briens Glasnevin
- Stockists: O’Briens stores or obrienswine.ie