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As Chinese wines gain in quality while diversifying, James Suckling takes a look at the 10 best bottles he tasted in 2020, with appellations ranging from Ningxia to Shandong and Yunnan to Hebei.
Our Chinese wine of the year is Ao Yun Shangri-La 2016, which comes from a remote part of the southwest of the country. This wine shows the harmony of maturity and freshness of a solid 2016 vintage described by Maxence Dulou, the winemaker of this premium producer, as “the coolest year until mid-July, followed by a season. very sunny, hot and dry in August â€. The cellar belonging to LVMH is located in a remote Xanadu of the Himalayan region and its grapes come from a mosaic of 314 plots between 2,200 and 2,600 meters above sea level. It is also the first year that Ao Yun has added Syrah and Petit Verdot planted in 2013, with a reduced involvement of new wood, giving the wine “a sincere expression of the terroirâ€.
Long Dai Qiu Shan 2018, in second place, is the invigorating result of another French investment: DBRLafite, whose 1982 Château Lafite gained unprecedented notoriety in China after appearing in a film with Chow Yun Fat. This legend has been perpetuated with this interpretation of the terroir of the Qiu Shan valley in Shandong, about twenty kilometers from the Yellow Sea. The vineyards benefit from a warm climate tempered by the ocean, which provides ultra-fine tannins and a long finish to its blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan and Cabernet Franc. Shandong also produced an exceptional Chardonnay which we believe is the best rendering of the grape that we have discovered so far. Chateau Nine Peaks Chardonnay Qingdao Qi 2018 is a full-bodied Chardonnay that shows engaging transparency, freshness and concentration.
Ningxia remains the bastion of quality Chinese wines, with Jade Vineyard, Helan Qingxue, Kanaan Winery and Silver Heights leading the way with some of Bordeaux’s most serious cabernets and blends. Jade Vineyard Ningxia Messenger Reserve 2016 was our best Ningxia wine in 2020 and scored 95 points.
Jade Vineyard’s first marselan vintage – Jade Vineyard Marselan 2019 – is also magnificent with its dense fruit and depth of brooding. To date, the only Marselan wine that achieved a higher score on Jamessuckling.com was the 2014 Franco-Chinese Marselan Reserve Estate from Huailai County in Hebei, which we tasted in 2019 and is not on this list. . But the sister cellar of Domaine Franco-Chinois, Canaan Wine Estate, of the same appellation, offered the best deal with its Chapter and Verse Riesling Hebei Huailai Mastery 2018, which I think represents one of the greatest values ​​in China. .
At Ningxia, Helan Qingxue and Kanaan Winery produced fantastic wines from 2016, which was a ripe but more “unanimous†vintage, according to Helan Qingxue winemaker Zhang Jing, who debuted at Helan Qingxue Vineyard Ningxia Jiabeilan Grand Reserve 2016. The Kanaan Winery Ningxia Crazy Fang 2016, in fifth place, is another Cabernet Sauvignon and one of our top rated Chinese reds.
The Riesling and Viognier on this list show just how affordable Chinese wines of exceptional quality can be. In contrast, many Chinese wines are ambitiously targeting the high end of the market: the top five on the list are priced high (from US $ 150 to $ 300 or S $ 202 to $ 403 a bottle), but they also have the top quality that goes with it. he. It is up to the consumer to decide if super premium Chinese wines like these have their place in the market.
AO YUN SHANGRI-LA 2016
Rating: 96
A very pure red with currants, blackberries and fresh leaves. Mushrooms and damp earth. A little tobacco. Cigars. Coal. Medium to full bodied with fine, silky tannins and an intense, flavorful finish. It develops in the mouth with smooth but polished tannins. Delicious.
SILVER HEIGHTS PINOT NOIR NINGXIA JIAYUAN 2017
Rating: 93
Such lovely undergrowth and earthy, forest berries, with dried orange zest and creamy, elegant oak adding sweet spices. Medium bodied, but not lacking in texture.
LONG DAI QIU SHAN 2018
Rating: 96
Complex and fragrant nose of lavender, cloves, potpourri, bark, sandalwood, black cherry, cassis, sweet tobacco and musk. It is full-bodied with firm, ultra-fine and velvety tannins. Lots of black fruits and spices with dried tobacco leaves.
XIGE ESTATE CABERNET GERNISCHT NINGXIA JADE DOVE SINGLE VINEYARD 2018
Rating: 93
Such a racy nose, on hawthorn fruit and black cherry. Black pepper, dried herbs and a bit of elegant oak add complexity. Medium to full bodied with lots of juicy, ripe fruit, coated in linear yet polished tannins.
JADE VINEYARD NINGXIA MESSENGER RESERVE 2016
Rating: 95
It’s beautifully rendered, with complexity and depth. A well balanced ensemble of ripe cassis, cherry jam, blackberries and black date notes, as well as high quality oak, cedar and cream to balance the maturity. Nuts, iodine and dried meat too.
CHATEAU NINE PEAKS CHARDONNAY QINGDAO QI 2018
Rating: 93
It’s really energetic and bright, with sliced ​​apples, cooked pears and lemons. Notes of caramel and honey. Full-bodied, tight, shiny and focused. Fat and crunchy at the same time.
HELAN QINGXUE VINEYARD NINGXIA JIABEILAN GRANDE RESERVE 2016
Rating: 94
Very complex and deep nose with lots of tasty cocoa powder, candied plums, fleshy berries, tobacco leaf, tomato paste, black olives and cedar. There are many here that are reminiscent of an excellent Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with its brilliant and sumptuous maturity, without sacrificing any freshness.
DOMAINE CHARME VIOGNIER NINGXIA 2019
Rating: 93
It’s so fresh and tangy on the nose with immediate floral and peach appeal, along with orange blossom and lemongrass. The raised aromas are attentive, but not impertinent.
KANAAN WINERY NINGXIA CRAZY FANG 2016
Rating: 94
Dense, elegant and ripe, with lots of blackcurrant character, as well as cigar box and fine spices. Very classy with a beautiful integration of oak. Juicy, ripe and dense, loaded with dissipated and velvety tannins that offer a long and precise finish.
CHAPTER AND VERSE RIESLING HEBEI HUAILAI MASTERY 2018
Rating: 93
Perfumed and attractive nose, oozing tropical fruits from papaya to peach. Exotic and floral with lots of orange blossom and jasmine as it evolves in the glass. Such fragrant complexity!
(All images: James Suckling)
This story first appeared in the July 2021 issue of Prestige Singapore.
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