Damien Yvon, winemaker for Clos Henri in New Zealand, joined John Sporing, founder of A Life Well Drunk, for a WineUncensored Tasting on April 22, 2021.

Did you miss the live tasting? No worries, watch it here. 

In our conversation with Damien, we were guided through three of their wines:

• Clos Henri Pinot Noir
• Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc
• Petit Clos Sauvignon Blanc

Meet the Maker

Damien is the face of Clos Henri in Marlborough. Together with the Bourgeois family, Damien brought the best of his French winemaking heritage to New Zealand to be the on-site winemaker of Clos Henri. His passion, enthusiasm and attention to detail instill great dedication and commitment from his successful young team.

Nestled under the southern foothills of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, Clos Henri is the wine estate meticulously established and organically run by the famous Sancerre wine growing family of Henri Bourgeois.

Uniting 10 generations of winegrowing know-how from the Bourgeois family, Clos Henri crafts textural and elegant wines, capturing the intense Marlborough character with the aim to reveal the identity of the Clos Henri terroir and a true sense of place in the wines.

From the three different soil types of the estate, partially comprised of a clay hill slope, the family uses the best of French and New World winegrowing techniques to capture the essence of Marlborough’s intense character and reveal the identity and depth of the Clos Henri terroir.