Top Chinese wines

With today marking the start of the Chinese New Year and news breaking last week that China is now the world’s largest red wine market – we thought it was a good time to highlight some of the country’s most high-profile wines.

The Year of the Horse began today with celebrations last night marking an end to the Year of the Snake.

And there is a good chance those celebrating would have been doing so with a glass of red.

According to an IWSR survey commissioned by Vinexpo ahead of its Hong Kong fair at the end of May, Chinese red wine consumption has leapt by 136% since 2008 with 155 million nine-litre cases consumed in 2013 making it the world’s largest red wine market.

Scroll through for our pick of some of the best Chinese wines.

2008 Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Produced by Pernod Ricard’s Domaine Helan Mountain Winery in the Ningxia region of China, this special reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby red in colour and full of redcurrant, cherry and oak flavours with smooth tannins and a sweet after taste.

Ningxia is one of China’s most significant wine-producing regions located in the central-north of the country and is home to a heavily irrigated valley nestled between the Yellow River and the base of Helan Mountain.

2010 Silver Heights Helan Mountain ‘The Summit’, Ningxia

Made by one of China’s few female winemakers, Emma Gao, the 2010 ‘Summit’ is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere offering favours of plum, cherries, blackberries and fresh herbs.

According to Gao, Silver Heights is one of China’s highest altitude vineyards standing at 1,200 metres above sea level.

Average price: £39

2009 Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Made at the Shanxi-based Grace Vineyard this 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is described by everwines.com as “medium-bodied” with a “lively blackberry and blackcurrant aroma and good oak integration.”

The Grace vineyard sits within 200-hectares in the Shanxi region of China and produces around two million bottles a year, including its flagship red blend Deep Blue to top wine Chairman’s Reserve, which is sold in luxury bars and hotels in China’s leading cities.

The vineyard is run by Judy Leissner, took over from her father in 2002 at just 24. Grace is now a globally recognised brand and a flagship for Chinese fine wine. 

Average price: £17

2008 Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Reserve Chardonnay

Also from the Grace vineyard, this 2008 Chardonnay carries “full-flavoured  peaches and cream aromas with oak nuances”, according to everwines.com.

Average price: £17

Chateau Hansen Cotes du Fleuve Jaune du Desert de Gobi 2009

Côtes du Fleuve Jaune du Désert de Gobi is a certified organic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt, Cabernet Franc and Merlot produced by China’s first organic estate – Château Hansen.

Located in Wuhai on the southern edge of the Gobi Desert, in Inner Mongolia, Château Hansen was established by the Han family in the 1980s but, since 2010, has been overseen by French winemaker Bruno Paumard – formerly a winemaker at Loire sparkling wine producer Bouvet-Ladubay.

This blend is sourced from vineyards in Ningxia, Gansu and Wuhai and aged in 30% new French oak for 16 months.

Changyu Cabernet d’Est 2010, Ningxia

The Changyu wine company is based in Yantai in China’s Shangdong Province and is China’s oldest and largest winery. 

This Cabernet Gernischt, blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, was described by wine journalist Jamie Goode, as having a “nose of leafy green berry fruits”, with “cherry and berry” flavours and some “grippy tannins”.

He described it as being “supple and very Loire-like”, with a “hint of rusticity”.

Average price: £12

2009 Changyu Golden Valley Ice Wine, Gold Diamond Label, Liaoning

Chinese ice wine is a dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars do not freeze but the water does allowing for a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes and resulting in a very sweet wine.

The Gold Diamond Label ice wine is made by the Changyu Pioneer Wine Co in the remote region of Liaoning in Huanlong province and is home to the world’s largest ice wine chateau.

Mark Pardoe, wine director at Berry Bros & Rudd, said: “Because the fruit for ice wine is frozen, but healthy and not botrytised, the attack is always very fresh and pure, with a very positive level of acidity. Here the profile is more of citrus and tropical fruits, blossom and honey. Creamy desserts work well, such as crème brûlée, or try simply with tropical fruits like pineapple or mango.”

Dragon seal Merlot

The Dragon Seal vineyards are located in Huailai county of China, 120km northwest of Beijing, and can be traced back to 1910. During the 1950s, the winery was nationalised and renamed Beijing Winery before being renamed Dragon Seal Wines Company in 1987, in partnership with Pernod Ricard.

Traditional French methods are used to produce its wines with production overseen by oenologist Jérôme Sabaté, a third generation winemaker from France.

This varietal wine features fruit flavours of plum with a rose and oak flavour.

Average price: £11