Clos Henri Vineyard Blog will be a platform enabling all Clos Henri lovers to follow our harvest live, as well as specific news throughout the year. We hope to hear from you and get feedback about what you enjoy and would like to see even more of. Thank you.
On Friday 9th of December, we celebrated Christmas with all our staff including Lionel Bourgeois, our French Owner and Viticulturist who came to New Zealand just for 1 week.
It was a great day, beautiful weather and we all enjoyed the trip. Lionel especially loved seeing another rich and tranquil part of the country.
When Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Menetou-Salon, Cheverny, Saumur-Champigny and Champagne winemakers heard about the devastating Christchurch earthquake, they immediately offered bottles of wine to be auctioned at Clos Henri in order to bring support in their own way to the victims. Earlier this year, at our 10th Anniversary, we auctioned off the wines, which raised over $6000. Damien took a drive to Christchurch last week to attend L'Alliance Francaise de Christchurch and officially hand over the cheque to the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr Bob Parker.
This was the first week of the new season here at Clos Henri. The cellar door was opened just in time for the influx of French rugby fans to touch down in Marlborough for the Rugby World Cup. Among our many blue cladded visitors was none other than French rugby legend and former French union player Mr Philippe Sella. We are all hoping for a blue/black final... Croisons les doigts!
In July we enjoyed a fabulous weekend celebrating Clos Henri's 10th Anniversary. Jean-Marie and Arnaud Bourgeois came over from France to join the Clos Henri team, together with the French Ambassador his Excellency Mr Francis Etienne and some of our closest friends. The day began in the 
Winery with a counter vertical tasting through Sancerre and Marlborough wines. We then feasted on a French style grapevine shoots barbeque lunch, followed by a charity wine auction for Christchurch earthquake relief. Thank you to all the French winegrowers who so kindly donated their wines. Also, to the keen bidders who made this day such a wonderful success.
Our new release Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2010 has won the Special Trophy Award at the Mondial du Sauvignon Competition which took place in Bordeaux earlier this year. Winemaker Damien Yvon said "10 years on from the birth of Clos Henri, it's a great accomplishment and we're all delighted with this award in such a prestigious wine competition".
