B-21 Top Recommendation
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Described as a "wine of pure class" by the Wine Advocate's Erin Larkin, the enticing 96 pt. 2022 Clos Henri Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc offers ripe, juicy stone fruit and citrusy grapefruit flavors with lively, mineral-tinged acidity on a richly textured finish, a pure, vineyard-driven New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc crafted with the expertise of one of Sancerre's most esteemed estates to transparently express Marlborough's unique glacial terroir priced for Sauv Blanc aficionados to stock the cooler.
With a family history as growers in the Loire Valley spanning ten generations, Domaine Henri Bourgeois has been producing terroir-driven expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the heart of the Sancerre region for over 70 years, expanding its reach south to New Zealand and now ranked among Marlborough's top Sauv Blanc producers. After a twelve year worldwide search for land similar to their property in Sancerre, the family purchased 98 hectares of pastureland nestled in the southern foothills of the South Island's Wairau Valley, attracted by the region's optimal combination of soil and climate for growing Sauvignon Blanc and establishing Clos Henri in 2000. Implementing organic and biodynamic viticulture in their new endeavor, the 100 hectares of vineyards lie at the convergence of two distinct geological ages split by the Wairau fault line, boasting distinctive glacial soils and enjoying long, dry growing seasons with cool nighttime temperatures. Now over 20 years old, the vines for the 2022 Clos Henri Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc were planted in an abundance of ancient river stones deposited during the Otiran glacial period, the well-draining rocky soils and sunny, dry climate yielding elegant, balanced wines with mineral-driven acidity. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, French born winemaker Damien Yvon aged the elegant 2022 Clos Henri Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc on the lees for 8 months in a mix of stainless steel, older French oak barrels and Austrian casks with six months longer in tank and barrel before bottling, yielding a core of intense fruit flavors elegantly balanced by fresh acidity and stony minerality on a lengthy, mouthwatering finish, summed up by the Wine Advocate's Erin Larkin as "sensational."
One of the estate's new single-vineyard bottlings showing "a layer of complexity above your everyday Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc" according to the Wine Enthusiast's Christina Packard, the rich and refined 96 pt. 2022 Clos Henri Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc is one of the top rated Sauv Blancs from the 2022 harvest, a masterful expression of Marlborough terroir boasting Sancerre-like elegance and depth that will have Sauvignon Blanc lovers reaching for another pour. | 
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