Kanaan Winery, Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, China
Kanaan Winery, Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, China
Wine Type: Red Wine
Grape(s): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Country: China
Region: Ningxia
Organic: No
Vegan: Yes
Biodynamic: No
ABV: 15%
Winemaker: Zhou Shuzhen
Winery: Considered one of the top wineries in China, Kanaan is located at the foot of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia, which is about 1,000km west of Beijing. Kanaan means ‘the land of milk and honey’, signifying the hope for Ningxia to be one of China’s leading regions for the production of fine wine. The winery was established in 2011 by Fang Wang, daughter of Wang Feng Yu, a pioneer of viticulture in Ningxia. Fang is nicknamed ‘Crazy Fang’ for her boldness to start a winery with no prior experience, and for embarking on the near impossible mission of growing Riesling in Ningxia.
Vineyard: Located in the picturesque eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, this vineyard has an arid climate, seeing very little rain throughout the growing season, with an average rainfall of 150mm to 240mm annually. This location receives adequate sunlight, and features large shifts in temperature between day and night which aids in developing a desirable level of acidity in the grapes. These climate conditions have the capacity to produce very high-quality wine grapes in fact, this vineyard sits in what is referred to as the 'golden zone' for grape cultivation. The altitude of the vineyard is over 1,000 meters above sea level.
Winemaking: All of the grapes are handpicked, destemmed and cold soaked for 3-5 days prior to maceration in stainless steel tanks which are temperature controlled between 8-10 degrees. Alcoholic fermentation lasts about one week at 24 to 29 . Malolactic fermentation takes place for about two weeks after pressing, the exact timing is dependent on the vintage. The wine is then aged in second use French oak barrels for 14 months.
Tasting Notes: This wine is full of ripe, rich fruit flavours alongside a blend of sweet spices. On the nose there are notes of clove, vanilla, and chocolate truffle. As the wine opens up, the flavours expand and develop into elegant notes of fragrant leaves, graphite and soil. Warm and woody notes run throughout the entire tasting experience.
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