The Bauhaus, an art school that opened in Germany in 1919, was a laboratory for modern design. It broke down the boundaries between architecture, fine art, and craft, and favored function and structure over ornate decoration. It also actively embraced materials that symbolized the industrial age, such as steel and glass. Since then, the name Bauhaus has expanded beyond the school to refer to a philosophy that runs through modern art, architecture, and design.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect, was the school's last director. After the Bauhaus closed in 1933 under pressure from the Nazi regime, Mies moved to the United States and led architectural education at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago (now the Illinois Institute of Technology, IIT).
In Chicago, his architecture met a new environment and expanded further. To the simple forms, precise proportions, and structure-on-display approach he explored in Europe were added America's advanced steel technology and the scale of its cities. A building that symbolizes this is IIT's S. R. Crown Hall, completed in 1956. Eight exterior steel columns and four large steel girders support the roof, creating a vast interior with no columns. The very proportions of the steel structure, glass, and space became the aesthetics of the architecture. A philosophy refined in Europe was realized in a new language when it encountered the environment of the New World.
Wine has a similar journey. The Bourgeois family, which has made wine for 10 generations in Sancerre in France's Loire, set out in search of new land to grow Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. After 12 years of examining sites around the world, they chose Marlborough, in the northeastern part of New Zealand's South Island, on the opposite side of the globe. The winery they established there is Clos Henri.
The Bourgeois family is based in Chavignol in Sancerre. In particular, they have focused on expressing Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in tune with the characteristics of different soils. What they sought to do in New Zealand was to realize, in a completely different natural environment, their philosophy of "capturing the character of the land where the grapes grow in the wine."
Clos Henri took root in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. This is land marked by different ice ages and geological activity. The vineyard has three distinct types of soil. Drawing on more than 200 years of viticultural experience in Sancerre, the Bourgeois family began growing Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir here.
They applied methods learned in France to cultivation. Planting density in the Clos Henri Estate Sauvignon Blanc vineyards is 4,000 vines per hectare (ha). Vines are planted more closely than in typical Marlborough vineyards to encourage competition between them. This reins in excessive vigor and pushes roots deep into the soil in search of water and nutrients. They accept Marlborough's nature as much as possible as it is. Irrigation is minimized, and the vineyards are managed organically.
The name "Clos" carries a tradition brought from France. In French it means a vineyard enclosed by a wall or fence. Clos Henri places the vineyard, winery, and cellar on one site and makes wine within a single domaine. It is essentially transplanting an old French wine culture onto New Zealand soil.
Clos Henri Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a wine that lets you experience this philosophy relatively easily. It blends Sauvignon Blanc harvested from multiple parcels across the three soils. Rather than emphasizing a single soil or specific parcel, the goal is to capture the diversity of the entire Clos Henri vineyard in one bottle.
The harvested grapes are gently pressed, and the juice is separated and handled according to the level of pressing. After three days of settling, fermentation in stainless steel tanks preserves the fruit's pure aromas and flavors. The wine is then aged for three months on fine lees. During this period, the lees are stirred periodically to naturally stabilize the wine and add texture and complexity.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is generally known for intense tropical and citrus fruit and herbal aromas with vivid acidity. Clos Henri's direction is a bit different. Rather than highlighting only the intensity of fruit, it emphasizes the balance of texture and structure, acidity, and minerality derived from different soils.
In the glass, bright citrus notes reminiscent of mandarin and yuzu blossom come first. On the palate, flavors of pineapple, peach, and lemon peel follow. Lively acidity supports the generous fruit, and a sense of minerality lingers long on the finish. Clos Henri Estate Sauvignon Blanc won top honors in the New World white wine category at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards 2026. The domestic importer is NARA CELLAR.