This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for White Middle, Far East & Asia under £15 went to Greatwall, Terroir Superior Selection Chardonnay, Shandong, China 2008 (12.5%)
Tasted against:
- No other Golds in this category
Profile:
Greatwall has been China’s top-selling wine brand for some time now, and with its region- specific Terroir Superior Selection Chardonnay, its intention is to showcase the advantages of making dry white wine in Penglai – particularly from this grape. Greatwall is justifiably proud of this Trophy-winner and says that it highlights the region’s capacity to produce wines that are smooth and soft in body, but with great balance and aromas.
The fruit comes from its Longshan vineyard, with vines that were planted 16 years ago and that produced their first harvest in 2002. The soil here is calcareous clay with a good pH level, and the ripening season is long, helping to add layers of complexity to the grapes before they are harvested between September and October.
Greatwall’s ethos is ‘innovation and continued pursuit of excellence’, and helping to achieve such ambitions is its cutting-edge research centre, a great benefit to talented winemaker Zefu Li. A graduate of China’s North West Agriculture & Forestry university, Li has 14 years’ experience in winemaking, learning his trade in France and Chile (where Greatwall also owns properties), plus Italy, Spain, Germany and Australia.
Written by Decanter
