Having sold Asian wines for many years, I’ve witnessed that the very mention of Chinese wine is often met with skepticism, even in a trendy London wine bar. Chinese wine, and Asian wine in general, struggles to separate itself from associations with mass-produced, low-quality goods and for wine drinkers in Europe, this can unfairly influence opinion. I’ve learnt that the best way to overcome this bias is by offering a blind taste, revealing the origin only after hearing that the customer loves the wine.
In this climate, China enters the global wine market with one proverbial hand tied behind its back, yet the IWSC Wine Judging in Ningxia this year revealed the quality of and hard work behind some exceptional Chinese wines, many of which are refined varietals made from classic international grapes.
The IWSC Wine Judging in China
This year’s team of judges was led by John Hoskins MW and consisted of industry experts Antony Moss MW, Xing Wei MW, Igor Sotric, Jeremy Lithgow MW, Maggie Macpherson, Natalie Wang and me.
Jeremy Lithgow MW, head of wine for Amathus Drinks notes that: ‘There are some really good wines, mostly spread around some of the classic varieties like Cabernet and it’s interesting to see the establishment of Marselan as potentially the signature variety – we found some really good examples of the grape over the last few days [of judging].’ China’s love of all things French in wine is largely responsible for the large quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay planted in the country’s vineyards. One can also find plantings of Cabernet Gernischt (Carménère), Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and their hero grape – Marselan.
This year showed some real promise in less oak-driven Chardonnays
Marselan was created in Languedoc-Roussillon in the late 1960s from a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir to provide a high-yielding, disease-resistant variety. French winemakers generally dismissed it as a variety of quality, yet for Ningxia, the innate lack of pyrazine characteristics makes it the perfect frontrunner as the region’s star variety.
This year showed some real promise in less oak-driven Chardonnays and more restrained, subtler styles of red wine. Wei MW summates that in the last 10 years, Chinese wine production has reduced by 90% and the country’s wine imports have also decreased by more than 60%. The figures are bleak but he believes that they are not wholly negative; the drops are largely down to a waning wine culture of corporate gifting and status-driven luxury purchases. A new, more stable and sustainable market is now emerging based on lifestyle drinking, rather than on wine as a status symbol.
Chinese wine’s ‘shot in the arm’
While those statistics may indicate a Chinese wine market that is currently contracting and transforming, there are reasons to believe it will endure given the broader motivations for the promotion of wine production in China. Janet Wang, author of The Chinese Wine Renaissance, writes on the main reasons for China promoting the planting of vines for wine production during the 1980s. One of them is that Chinese population growth puts a strain on stocks of rice for both food and alcohol production, so the planting of vines and push to promote wine consumption was intended to diversify the domestic alcohol market. Xing Wei, China’s youngest Master of Wine, adds that wine also came with associated health benefits that widely consumed local rice spirit Baiju didn’t.
As in many developing countries, wealth drove populations to cities and pockets of agricultural China began to empty. Planting grapes in relatively remote desert locations was a way of distributing the population and economic activity more evenly across the country. Wei MW also comments in reference to the province of Ningxia that the government encouraged the planting of vines on ‘grey calcareous dessert soils’ because if not for vines, nothing else would be planted there. The wine region in the Helan Mountains’ eastern foothills is where most of Ningxia’s wine is produced, and in 2014 it was granted China’s first wine Geographical Indication (GI).
This year’s IWSC results demonstrate that Chinese wine has what it takes to compete on the international stage
In 2020, Ningxia was included in the European Union GI Agreement, further opening up the European market. In that same year, President Xi Jinping made an industry-changing statement while visiting Ningxia’s Chateau Zhi Hui Yuan Shi: ‘as Chinese residents’ living standards improve, the prospect for the wine industry is very bright’. Journalist Natalie Wang describes this as the ‘shot in the arm’ that the Chinese wine market needed while navigating the pandemic.
This year’s IWSC results demonstrate that Chinese wine has what it takes to compete on the international stage and the selection of medals from the in-situ judging featured below will be of particular interest to lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon. The next step is for Western drinkers to take a wander out of their comfort zones and give wines from China the attention their quality merits.
Sunny Hodge is the author of The Cynics Guide to Wine, owner of two award-winning London wine bars, and wine wholesaler (including Chinese wines) through his company Diogenes the Dog Trade.
Five top Chinese wines from the IWSC China judging
Shandong Taila Vinery, Petit Manseng Vendange Tardives 2019
Intense and expressive with apricots, mango, and dried orange on the nose’, say IWSC judges. ‘On the palate, a rich tapestry of tropical fruit and honey unfolds, harmonised by a slight touch of toasty oak. Long finish with balanced sweetness and vibrant acidity.’ 97 points.
Citic Niya Wine, Niya Legend Marselan Blend 2020
Judges were impressed by the ‘ripe dark fruit, herbal notes and sandalwood’ on the nose. ‘On the palate, a full-bodied richness, with velvety tannins, plum fruit, and savoury depth. Lingering finish with bright bramble and sweet clove. Masterfully crated wine with remarkable balance and warmth.’ 96 points.
Huida Sunshine Ecological Winery, Qixinglu Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
‘Lifted aromas of menthol, eucalyptus and blackcurrant complemented by nuances of cumin,’ said the judges. ‘The palate reveals intense blackcurrant and ripe tannins, with a touch of vanilla sweetness. It concludes with a savoury tobacco note, offering a beautifully balanced and enduring finish.’ 96 points.
Ren Yi Yuan Winery, Dao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Judges liked the ‘subtle, perfumed-flower nose leading into a luscious core of ripe blackcurrant and black cherry’, as well as the texture, which was ‘elegantly framed by integrated oak, revealing layers of bramble, coffee, and clove spice’. 95 points.
COFCO Great Wall Wine, Greatwall Chateau Terroir 3556 Marselan-Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
‘Dark fruit, robust spice, and black-tea bouquet,’ said the judges. ‘On the palate, a layered balance of intense blackberry and rich, sweet spice unfolds, complemented by bright, chewy tannins. Charmingly rustic finish offering harmonious depth.’ 93 points.
