Greetings from social-distancing-to-stem-the-spread-of-Coronavirus-land!  Unfortunately, I fear that it will be awhile before things are back to normal.  I hope that your wine rack is fully stocked, and if not, as of now, liquor stores in NJ are still open.  Be thankful you do not reside in PA. 

Months ago, I wrote about looking for wines from China, India, and Mexico. Leave it to a detective to find a bottle! Mark Farren of Scrooge and Marley Investigating and Consulting, one of our Bar Association’s corporate partners, found a bottle of red wine from China, and passed it along. I have been waiting for the right time to open a bottle of wine imported from China, and this is obviously it.

Although winemaking has been traced back to 7,000 B.C. in Chinese history, the first modern winery was founded in 1892. China is the sixth largest wine producer in the world.

Chateau Rongzi is located in Xiangning County, in the southwestern part of Shanxi province (shown red on the map here). The Shanxi Province is located in Northern China, south of inner Mongolia, in coal country. Shanxi Province covers a mountainous Loess plateau between a desert to the West and a coastal plain to the East.

The Chateau Rongzi vineyards are between 950-1300 meters (about 3,000-4,300 feet) above sea level. The vineyards enjoy a continental climate, with plenty of sun and an average diurnal range more than 15℃ (about 60℉). The Yellow River creates a microclimate ideal for growing grapes in a climate so cool, they have to bury the vines in order to get them through winter. 

Chateau Rongzi was founded by Zhang Wenquan, a coal mining magnate. He spent $92 million on 400 hectares and built a giant castle on it. He hired Jean-Claude Berrouet, winemaker to over 40 vintages of Bordeaux’s Petrus, to consult and plant French varietals. Their chief winemaker, Zhang Huining, joined the winery in 2009. Her wines are very terroir-driven, and very Bordeaux in style. The grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted, and aged in French oak barrels. 

The bottle Mark gave me is their “Red Label”, a Bordeaux blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, and Cabernet Franc.  I am sure you are familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, but Marselan may be a new one for you.  Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache created by Frenchman Paul Truel in 1961. It does very well in the Languedoc region of France, Uruguay, and China.

The wine is deep garnet in the glass, with aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, and baking spices on the nose. On the palate, peppery and savoury flavors with silky tannins lead to a long, dry finish. This wine garnered 90 Points from Wine Enthusiast and won a Bronze Medal at Decanter Magazine’s Asia Wine Awards (DAWA). It would pair well with beef, or drink on its own. It was much better than I expected.

13.0% ABV.  Available from PA Wine and Liquor Stores for about $30 or online from Royal Comfort Distributors for $25. 干杯 Gānbēi! (Cheers in Mandarin)

I’m still looking for wine from Mexico and India . . . hint, hint.