Meldung vom 31.07.2024
In 2016, the so-called "white Cabernet" made its debut as the world's first and only wine of its kind. Now, winemaker Lenz Maria Moser proudly presents the new 2023 vintage, the Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Helan Mountain Range Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc de Noir, 2023: "An extraordinary wine that delights beyond China!"
VIENNA, July 2024. Since its premiere in 2016, much has happened: Year after year, the production of the Helan Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc de Noir at Chateau Changyu Moser XV has been improved and perfected, resulting in an impressive outcome. "Our fans," says Lenz Maria Moser, the winemaker responsible for the wines at Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia, "love the innovation, the surprise, and the discovery of this wine anew every year." For the 2023 vintage, the smallest Cabernet Sauvignon berries in the world, which thrive under the extreme desert conditions in Ningxia, were used again. "And for the first time," Moser adds, "it tastes exactly as it did in my mind: A cornucopia of exotic aromas, a fine balance of elegance and pure hedonism on the palate, long and demanding the next sip."
Location, Location, Location
Ningxia – with the Helan Mountain appellation – is considered the most exciting and dynamic wine-growing region in China, comparable to Napa Valley in California. The Helan Mountain range is located about 1,200 kilometers west of Beijing around Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, near the Gobi Desert, at an altitude of 1,100 meters. This brings a unique climate: hot summer days with cool nights and only about 150 mm of rainfall, hence dryness. This mix is also the reason for the small, thick-skinned, and very juicy berries that form the basis for unique wines from the region. The USP of Ningxia is this absolute concentration of the local Cabernet Sauvignon – the "skin-to-juice ratio" is key to it.
Of course, this requires considerable manpower and know-how. Moser describes the elaborate production method as follows: "The 2023 vintage was directly pressed, using only the free-run juice of the first twenty minutes – this keeps the juice green, resulting in a white wine. We extract only the color and tannins, the rest remains pure white Cabernet Sauvignon."
This wine aged for five months on the lees for additional creaminess, was bottled in March, and shipped directly to Europe in May – arriving only now due to the "detour" around the Cape of Good Hope.
Tasting Notes for the 2023 Vintage
And here’s how the Family Blanc de Noir Helan Mountain 2023 tastes: On the nose: Fresh, with wonderful aromas of exotic fruits, a hint of grapefruit, gooseberry – a completely new, unique fragrance profile in wine. On the palate: Very fresh – a wealth of fresh fruits, again exotic and tropical, a fine balance of elegance with racy acidity and strong character from a great body, with good structure, attributed to the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Body and structure: Full-bodied and elegant at the same time, united in perfect harmony, inviting the next sip.
Moser: "The smallest berries from Ningxia form the basis of our unique style. We focus our work on bringing this special fruit flavor to wine lovers around the world and thereby creating a new wine category."
The new flavor profile is extremely versatile, the wine pairs well with most foods and as a suitable aperitif for any occasion – anything but ordinary, so to speak. Lenz Moser adds: "It is important to us to also bring innovations from China into the wine. Our independence, our pioneering spirit is what connects the great Changyu family and my own so much."
