When China's oldest wine brand Changyu, founded in 1892, joins forces with oenologist Laurenz Maria Moser V. from the 15th generation of the legendary Moser wine family, the result has to be something special.
And so this joint venture, which has redefined the benchmark for quality wine in China, was not a case of sparing no expense, but rather a case of doing it right. The winery was built as a French-style castle surrounded by moats and parkland. It is located in the wine-growing region of Ningxia in north-west China. The decision to build a château was based on the idea of recognising the western and, above all, the French and Bordeaux winemaking tradition and using it as the basis for its own wine style. The most important grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot and Syrah.
The winery currently has 60 hectares planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and a further 200 hectares of vineyards in the area surrounding the winery. The 2016 vintage marked the actual start of the company, which currently produces six single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignons, including two Blanc de Noir. The "Moser Family Blanc de Noir" 2017 was the world's first Blanc de Noir made from Cabernet Sauvignon to be aged entirely in French barriques.
While the "Grand Vin" was the winery's flagship until 2020, Laurenz Moser has launched the "Purple Air Comes from the East", an ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon as the winery's new icon. Anyone travelling to the Ningxia wine region should pay a visit to the winery, as it presents the history of viticulture in China since the founding of Changyu in 1892 by Zhang Bishi.
photos: Château Changyu Moser XV
