Zaxee, ‘2300’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Yunnan, China

Wine Type: Red

Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: China

Region: Yunnan

Organic: No

Vegan: No

ABV: 14.5%

Winemaker: Quan Shi Ping

Winery: Quan Shi Ping chose a different path from his peers when he graduated high school in Gansu province, north-west China, and during his time at the North-West Agricultural University of China, little did he know that he would be roaming the mountains of the Himalayas to cultivate the wines of his ethos. The beautiful winery is incorporated into a traditional Tibetan house, which used to be a shaman's home. The time in the vines has turned Quan Shi Ping from an academic to someone so hands-on and heads to the ground.

Quan has a minimal-interventionalist approach to his vines, where he feels the maturity of the grapes and wines by taste, not numerical results, and bottles them when he thinks they’re ready. A true experimentalist at heart, he also tried to learn the old Tibetan way of winemaking, integrating their style and culture into his expressions. He greets everyone in Tibetan: “Zaxee Delek”.

Winemaking: Zaxee 2300 is made using hand-harvested grapes grown at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level. Spontaneously fermented, basket-pressed and aged for one year in amphorae made of local clay, with a further year of ageing in bottle. The use of large clay urns is a nod to traditional Chinese baijiu production, in which the wine develops a rich and deep texture without the influence of additional flavour notes from aging in barrels. 

The winemaker believes that this method is the purest way of honouring the natural vibrancy of the land, and to create a wine that is vibrant, nuanced, and well balanced. The large temperature shifts in the mountain region lend the wine concentrated aromas of fresh fruit. This wine is a fabulous introduction to the purity and clarity of wines grown in the Shangri-La region.

He and founder Mrs Lu work with local Tibetan farmers to grow truly world-class wine grapes, which is a positive influence for the local farming communities. Because the land here is owned directly by Tibetans, they do their utmost to keep the land pure and unpolluted so that they can pass these pristine vineyards on to later generations. Yak dung is also used as an all-natural fertiliser for the vineyards to avoid the use of synthetic substances that may damage the land. 

Tasting Notes: From Jancis Robinson: "Mid ruby-garnet. Fantastic, complex, layered aromas – deep, ripe blackcurrants, cassis and dark plums, damsons, interspersed with mint and a stony, mineral impression. Violets, too, as it opens. Untamed purity that reflects its origins well. Deep and energetic on the palate, with mouth-coating fine tannins – maybe just needs a little more time – and a wonderful vein of acidity carrying the palate. Great length, underpinned by the mineral character. It reminds me slightly of the Douro spliced with Argentina’s Salta. A great find of real purity and character."