PDC

Wine List : 31 Oct 2019

    White wines -    
  • Château Bolongbao Blanc 2015, Fangshan, Beijing (Petit Manseng 29%, Viognier 27%, Chardonnay 23%, Roussane 21%), 11.5% – aged 8 months in French oak (The Wine Library, £26)    
  • Treaty Port Vineyards ‘Manchu Bride’ 2018, Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong (Muscat), 11.5% (The Real Wine Co. therealwinecompany.co.uk £12.50)    
  • Kanaan Winery Riesling 2018, Ningxia, 14% – in Ningxia, the vines are watered after the harvest, laid down, and covered with earth because the temperature will drop to -20C (Liberty Wines £21)    
  • Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Reserve Chardonnay 2016, Xinjiang, 13% (The Wine Library £32)    
  • Treaty Port Vineyards, ‘The Lady of Fashion’ 2016, Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong (Chardonnay 50%, Viognier 50%), 11.5% – lightly oaked (Slurp, slurp.co.uk £12.50)    
  • Château Changyu Moser XV White Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc de noir 2017, Changyu Pioneer Wine Co., Helan Mountain Range, Ningxia, 14% (Slurp £16)    
  • Martin Vineyard Dragon Eye Longyan 2014, Yanhuai Valley, Huailai, Hebei (Longyan, which means dragon eyes, is the grape), 12% - aged 6 months in oak (The Wine Library £19.50)
    Red wines -    
  • Copower Jade Feí Tsweí Wines Marselan Reserve 2017, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia (Marselan, a Cabernet Sauvignon x Grenache cross, is becoming a signature grape in China), 15% (China Fine Wines, coming in 2020, £20)    
  • Kanaan Winery ‘Pretty Pony’ 2013, at foot of the Helan Mountain Range, Ningxia (Cabernet Sauvignon 90%, Merlot 10%), 14% - fermented in stainless steel, aged in French oak, 70% new, for 12 months (Liberty Wines, £33)    
  • Helan Qingxue Vineyard Jia Bei Lan 2015, Helan Mountain, Ningxia (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Gernicht [Carmenère]), 13.5% (The Wine Library £36.50)    
  • Treaty Port Vineyards ‘The Inspector General’ 2014, Qui Shan Valley, Shandong (Cabernet Sauvignon + ?), 13.5% - aged in French oak (Real Wine Company £15)    
  • Treaty Port Vineyards ‘The Prince’ 2016, Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong (Petit Verdot and Arinarnoa, a Tannat x Cabernet Sauvignon cross), 14.5% (Real Wine Company, £13)    
  • Château Changyu Moser XV, Moser Family XV 2015, Changyu Pioneer Wine Co., Helan Mountain, Ningxia (Cabernet Sauvignon + ?), 14.5% (Berry Bros & Rudd bin-end, £12) 2016 is £31.25    
  • Château Changyu Moser Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Changyu Pioneer Wine Co., Helan Mountain Range, 14% Slurp)
    Sweet wines –    
  • Changyu Golden Diamond Vidal Icewine 2015, Changyu Pioneer Wine Co., Helan Mountain, Ningxia (Vidal), 11% (Slurp, £24.95/ half-bottle)    
  • LiangLiang Sparkling Rice Wine NV, Chenyuanxing Shaoxing Wine Co., Shaoxing region, Zhejiang province, eastern China, 5% (120-160 grams of sugar per litre); made from water, sticky rice and distiller’s yeast (Oriental Drinks Co., £12/ 52cl)
    Geography and grapes -    
  • Beijing – hot, humid summers with frequent rain and long, cold winters    
  • Shandong – flat peninsula with hills in the centre; maritime climate: mild winters, cool wet summers    
  • Ningxia – emerging as a star region with wine the key economic driver. Borders the Gobi Desert; cold, arid & semi-arid areas, with plenty of warmth, light and low rainfall, but extremely cold in winter; they need to bury the vines after the harvest and then dig them up in the spring. The Helan Mountain Range shields the foothills from cold winds, and there is a well-irrigated valley because of the Yellow River. The soil is stony and well-drained. Most wineries are built around the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain Range. The high temperature contrast between day and night can lead to a balanced ripeness and acidity in the grapes. Helan Qingxue reportedly sets the bar for fine winemaking in China.    
  • Xinjiang – has continental/semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and very cold winters, so need to bury the vines.    
  • Shaoxing – hot, humid summers and cold winters. It’s primarily a manufacturing and rice wine making area. Most vineyards are north of the Yangtze River. They grow mostly Bordeaux varieties: 80% are red varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon 60% and Cabernet Gernicht (Carmenère) and Merlot 10% each. Marselan is emerging as a star variety. The predominant white is Chardonnay, followed by Riesling. The cold dry winters in northern China means the necessary burying and digging-up of the vines with its labour costs make up one-third of vineyard costs.