A Journey Born Millions Ago Honed by Ten Generations
Clos Henri is the Marlborough outpost of the famous Sancerre winegrowing family of Henri Bourgeois. [^70^] Nestled under the southern foothills of the Wairau Valley, the estate was meticulously established and is organically farmed, uniting 10 generations of know-how with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. [^75^] The Bourgeois family embarked on a 12-year world search for a new slice of land similar to their own in Sancerre — where ultra-premium Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir could be grown — and in 2000, New Zealand revealed itself as that place. [^70^] They purchased 109 hectares of native pasture and planted their first vines in 2001, with a gravity-flow winery built on-site in 2009. [^73^] [^70^] Today, Damien Yvon — born and raised in the Loire Valley — serves as General Manager, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, crafting textural, elegant wines that capture Marlborough's intense character while revealing the unique identity of the Clos Henri terroir. [^96^] [^75^]
From Chavignol to the Wairau Valley
The Bourgeois family story is told over ten generations of winegrowers in the village of Chavignol, at the foot of the "Côte des Monts Damnés" hill in Sancerre, France. [^86^] Henri Bourgeois — the current General Manager's grandfather — was the visionary who advocated for Sancerre to become an appellation in the 1930s, alongside Jolivet and Mellot, and expanded the family estate from 2 hectares in 1935 to 70 hectares today (64 in Sancerre, 6 in Pouilly-Fumé). [^72^] [^86^]
In the 1960s, Henri's sons Jean-Marie and Rémy took over the business. It was their sons — Jean-Marie's two sons and their cousin — who currently manage the estate, and who were aspired to explore outside the borders of France. [^75^] [^86^] This sparked the "great search" — a 12-year exploration of the world's wine regions to find a new slice of terroir similar to their own, where ultra-premium Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir could be grown. [^70^]
They investigated South Africa, Australia, and other regions, but New Zealand won. [^106^] In 2000, the family fell in love with the land and wines of Marlborough and made the instinctive, emotive decision to purchase 109 hectares of native pasture. [^75^] The vineyard was christened "Clos Henri" — "Clos" representing the ancient French custom of enclosing a unique vineyard with a stone wall, and "Henri" in respect of the family patriarch. [^75^]
The first vineyards were planted in 2001 on the valley floor, with hillside plantings following in 2004. [^73^] The Sainte Solange Chapel — a 1920s Presbyterian country church built of native Rimu — was relocated from the village of Ward onto the estate in 2003 to serve as the tasting room, named in memory of Henri Bourgeois's wife, Solange. [^73^] A wooden steeple was added to tie the building to the family's home village of Chavignol. [^73^]
"The Bourgeois family was amazed at the youthfulness of the land, unlike in France where the ground has been worked for centuries."
— Clos Henri History
Three Soils, One Fault Line & The Art of Place
The Clos Henri estate sits at the junction of two sub-regional appellations — the Southern Valleys and the Wairau Valley. [^73^] The hill that dominates the property is the beginning of the Southern Valleys, with wind-blown clays formed during the Waimaunga Glaciation 250,000 years ago. Where the hill meets the valley floor, the Wairau sub-region begins — bringing the aromatic intensity and fruit-bowl character that Marlborough is famous for. [^73^]
A fault line — an offshoot of the Southern Alpine Fault — runs diagonally through the property, dramatically shaping the terroir. [^73^] This fault line has helped form three unique soil types: Wither clay on the hillside, Broadbridge clay on the uplifted areas, and Greywacke river stone on the old Renwick Terraces. [^70^] [^106^] The stones on the estate are angular with rough edges — unlike the smooth, tumbled stones of the Richmond Ranges — and when worked up in the vineyards, they grind together and return a touch of minerality to the soil. [^73^]
The estate is 110 hectares in total, with 47 hectares planted in grapes. [^73^] Pinot Noir is mostly planted on the clay soils, while Sauvignon Blanc is mostly planted on the stones — though there are a couple of blocks where this is reversed, allowing the team to explore the full expression of each variety. [^106^] Most plantings are at 5,000 vines per hectare, with some initial blocks at 8,000. [^106^]
Clos Henri is certified organic (BioGro) and follows biodynamic practices, with conversion beginning in 2010 and certification achieved in 2013. [^106^] [^71^] The estate is also a proud member of MANA: Marlborough Natural Winegrowers. [^71^] Working organically, with grapes grown only from the high-density planted estate, and using dry farming practices (no irrigation), enables the team to achieve true terroir expression more purely than conventional approaches. [^70^]
94/100 'Editors' Choice' (2023) — "Punches well above its price point, with none of the underripe Marlborough Sauvignon characteristics and all of the texture and complexity." [^110^] [^79^] The stony soils of the old Renwick Terraces produce Sauvignon Blanc with tropical notes, tight structure, and excellent ageing potential. Fermented in stainless steel with a small portion in French and Austrian oak.
95/100 (2021 Pinot Noir) — "Complex and structured with fine tannins and a long, savoury finish." [^110^] 94/100 'Hidden Gem' (2022 Sauvignon Blanc). [^110^] The hillside clay soils — formed during the Waimaunga Glaciation — give wines with more green, herbal, and spicy characters: chamomile, tarragon, and meadow grasses. The Pinot Noir is savoury, spicy, and built for the cellar.
Young clay uplifts between the stones and the hillside. [^106^] This soil type contributes to the Estate blends — wines that bridge the gap between the aromatic intensity of the Wairau and the clay richness of the Southern Valleys. The fault line that created this diversity is the defining feature of the property.
No irrigation. 5,000–8,000 vines per hectare. Certified organic since 2013, biodynamic practices from 2011. [^106^] [^71^] Mussel shells (5 tonnes/hectare) are used instead of lime to address calcium deficiency — a gentle, slow-release approach that has brought the vineyard to life without changing soil analysis too quickly. [^106^]
Gravity-Fed, Loire-Inspired & Minimal Intervention
Damien Yvon — born and raised in Chinon in the Loire Valley — has been the winemaker at Clos Henri for over 15 years. [^96^] He arrived in 2006 at age 24, fresh from stints with the Moueix group in Bordeaux, Dominus in California, and Georges Michel in Marlborough. [^106^] His Loire upbringing shows in every decision: a preference for restraint, a belief in the vineyard as the primary driver of quality, and a deep scepticism of unnecessary intervention.
The winery, built in 2009, is designed around gravity flow. [^70^] Grape transport time is only a few minutes, allowing the fruit to be treated in the most respectful way. [^70^] Every parcel is transported in a small harvest trailer to avoid compaction, and sorting is carried out by hand both in the vineyard and in the winery. [^70^] Rather than pumping must to vats or barrels, gravity lifts are used to get the harvested grapes in — protecting them from being crushed or bruised. [^70^]
For Sauvignon Blanc, the unique receival system avoids skin contact as much as possible to enhance finesse and mineral expression. [^70^] For Pinot Noir, gentle pump-overs in the early stage of maceration alternate with only a few plungings to carefully extract supple, ripe tannins. [^70^] Damien is convinced that the biggest potential for improvement with Sauvignon is in the vineyard: "The amount of water put on Sauvignon that isn't needed is insane," he says. [^106^] He uses a pressure bomb and moisture probes to give vines water only when they really need it.
Damien follows the advice of Loire viticulturist François Dal, who advocates pruning that respects sap flow — each cane laid down from a spur cut to the outside, keeping the head clear, and not cutting too close so die-back doesn't affect the flow. [^106^] He won't use copper to fine wines before bottling — "In 12 years here I have never added copper" — preferring to work without sulfur dioxide during fermentation and using lees contact and aerative pumpovers to manage reduction naturally. [^106^]
Clos Henri "Waimaunga" Pinot Noir 2021 — 95 Points, Wine Enthusiast
"Complex and structured with fine tannins and a long, savoury finish." [^110^] The Waimaunga hillside — formed during the Waimaunga Glaciation 250,000 years ago — produces Pinot Noir with a distinctly savoury, spicy character compared to the more fruity, elegant style of the La Colline block. [^73^] Damien ferments the two rootstocks separately, then blends them together afterwards, creating a wine of genuine complexity and place. It is a Pinot Noir that demands patience but rewards it with profound depth — a wine that carries the Loire sensibility of its maker and the New Zealand intensity of its site.
Fine Wine Producers & The Marlborough Kinship
Clos Henri is a member of the Fine Wine Producers of New Zealand — a collective of wine people from across the country focused on elevating fine wine in New Zealand. [^73^] Lara Campbell, Assistant Winemaker and Sales & Marketing, speaks warmly of the industry's tight-knit nature: "It is actually a small, tight-knit industry and we forget we're not like the big boys in the world. Our production here is still smaller than Champagne. We share a lot of care and empathy for people in our industry and are always learning from them." [^73^]
The Bourgeois family remains heavily invested in every decision, visiting from Sancerre about three times a year. [^73^] They are tenth-generation vignerons who really came to the fore in the 1930s, and their commitment to terroir-driven expression is as strong in Marlborough as it is in the Loire. [^73^] The connection between the two estates is tangible: French barrels from forests close to the Loire, Stockinger large-format Austrian oak (a favourite in Sancerre), and a winemaking philosophy that prioritises mineral expression over aromatic bombast. [^73^]
The estate's environmental commitment extends beyond the vineyard. The pine windbreaks — planted decades ago — will be felled in about six years and replanted with all natives, turning the property into a wildlife haven. [^73^] Bees are kept on the property; during a rainy vintage they were observed clearing juice from split berries so effectively that fruit flies never became a problem. [^73^] Winery wastewater is managed sustainably, and the focus on biodiversity is central to the biodynamic approach.
The future of Clos Henri is rooted in the same principles that have defined it since 2000: organic and biodynamic farming, dry farming, high-density plantings, gravity-flow winemaking, and a deep respect for the three soil types that make the estate unique. As the vines mature — now over 20 years old — and Damien's understanding of the site's micro-parcels deepens, the wines will only become more expressive. This is a ten-generation project — and it is far from finished.
"The amount of water put on Sauvignon that isn't needed is insane."
— Damien Yvon
The Clos Henri Range
Clos Henri produces a focused portfolio of estate-grown, organic and biodynamic wines from its Marlborough vineyard. The range centres on Sauvignon Blanc — the estate blend and single-vineyard expressions from Otira (stones) and Waimaunga (clays) — alongside Pinot Noir, a Blanc de Noirs sparkling, and limited releases. [^70^] All wines are vegan and vegetarian friendly, made with minimal intervention, and aged on-site in the gravity-flow winery. [^81^] Prices are approximate and in NZD.