Bizoe Henriëtta 2025

Bizoe Henriëtta 2025

Appearance
Pale lemon-quartz in colour, brilliant and luminous in the glass, with a crystalline quality that immediately speaks to the wine’s youth and freshness.

Nose
Youthful and overtly primary, with a bright aromatic spectrum of musk, pomelo, green melon, green fig, passionfruit and lemon sherbet. Sweet basil and crushed mint introduce a cooler herbal lift, giving the fruit a fresher, more savoury frame. The oak is subtle and well judged, contributing only a faint creamy nuttiness rather than overt woodiness. As the wine opens, a delicate almond note emerges beneath the citrus and tropical fruit.

Palate
Dry, with high acidity, although the acidity feels composed and integrated rather than taut or aggressive. There is a wonderful sense of lightness to the body – almost as though the wine is moving on tiptoe – yet there is enough breadth through the mid-palate to give it presence. A slight perception of sweetness from the ripe fruit softens the dry, savoury profile, while a pithy texture gives the wine definition. Pomelo, green fig and passionfruit are joined by lemon verbena and a more savoury herbal quality.

The oak shows more clearly through texture than flavour, adding gentle creaminess and subtle almond character without compromising freshness. A fine saline line runs through the palate, tightening the fruit and giving the wine a polished mineral edge.

Finish
Long and persistent, with citrus, herbs and fine texture carrying well beyond the fruit. Lemongrass and a delicate savoury note linger on the aftertaste.

Conclusion
A wine that walks a fine line beautifully. It is not overtly showy, yet there is confidence in how freshness, fruit, and texture are held together. The wine feels light on its feet, but never slight, with intensity coming from purity rather than weight. Sauvignon Blanc brings aromatic lift, passionfruit, citrus and herbs, while Sémillon adds breadth, subtle creaminess and a gentler texture. The wine verges on flamboyance at times, particularly through the passionfruit and musk, but is repeatedly drawn back into focus by acidity, salinity, and a fine mineral line. Complex without trying to appear complex, and refined without losing its youthful energy.

Ageing Potential
The wine has the structural tension, acidity and subtle oak support to evolve gracefully over the next five years. Its more exuberant primary aromas should settle with time, allowing the creamy, nutty and savoury components to become increasingly expressive.

TASTING NOTE

This is still a very young wine, and you can feel that youth in the way the aromas seem almost weightless at first. Passionfruit, green fig, pomelo and lemon sherbet rise from the glass, with a little musk and crushed mint giving everything a playful, almost wispy quality. There is plenty of expression, but nothing feels heavy-handed.

On the palate, the wine becomes more composed. The acidity is racy and mouth-watering, but beautifully controlled, giving the wine energy without making it feel sharp. Juicy grapefruit, lemon verbena and fresh herbs move through a sleek, pithy texture, while a faint saline line keeps pulling the fruit back towards dryness.

The oak is very subtle, but it matters. Rather than tasting overtly woody, the wine shows a gentle creaminess, a suggestion of lemon cream biscuit and a quiet almond nuttiness that should become even more interesting as the wine develops.

A lovely contrast emerges between youth and restraint. Passionfruit and sherbet lemon bring the exuberance, while the Sémillon and oak introduce breadth, texture and calm. The wine glides rather than pushes its way across the palate, leaving much the same trail of expression in the mouth as it first did on the nose. Lemongrass lingers as the flavours slowly dissipate. Fresh, refined and quietly delicious now, but with enough structure to suggest that the best is yet to come.

FOOD PAIRING

Goat’s cheese and asparagus soufflé

This pairing works because the soufflé gives the wine the contrast it needs.

The creamy, slightly tangy goat’s cheese softens the wine’s high acidity, while asparagus picks up the Sauvignon Blanc’s green, herbal character without overwhelming it. The soufflé’s richness and airy texture sit beautifully against the wine’s sleek, pithy palate, while the subtle nuttiness from the oak finds an echo in the baked, savoury edges of the dish.

Awards

Bizoe Henriëtta 2016 – 93 Points Wine Magazine
Bizoe Henriëtta 2016 – 91 Points Platter’s Guide
Bizoe Henriëtta 2016 – 90 Points Decanter Wine Magazine Awards
Bizoe Henriëtta 2017 – 92 Points Platter’s Guide
Bizoe Henriëtta 2017 – 90 Points Wine Magazine
Bizoe Henriëtta 2017 – 90 Points Wine Advocate
Bizoe Henriëtta 2018 – 91 Points Platter’s Guide
Bizoe Henriëtta 2018 – 92 Points Dave March CWM
Bizoe Henriëtta 2018 – 94 Points Decanter Wine Magazine Awards

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