Chinese Wines Steal the Show in Tasting Test vs. Global Icons

Hong Kong remains a showcase for the best Chinese wines while staying staunchly global in its wine tastes, with top experts and collectors of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne calling the city home.

So when James Suckling Wine Central, James’ restaurant in Hong Kong, hosted a tasting last week pitting some of China’s finest bottles against five great wines from France, Italy, the U.S., Argentina and Chile – with the Chinese entries holding their own – many guests were both surprised and delighted.

The semi-blind tasting and dinner, “China in Dialogue: A Global Wine Conversation,” featured five pairs of wines and 24 wine lovers, including a few notable names from the trade, such as Jason Ginsberg of Ginsberg + Chan. Guests voted for their preferred choice in the pairings and tried to guess which ones were the Chinese bottlings before their true identities were revealed.

The first pairing highlighted high-altitude chardonnays from the New World: the 98-point Mingyi Yunnan Above the Creek 酩一桃溪之上干白葡萄酒 2022, from Yunnan, China, and the 100-point Catena Zapata Chardonnay Mendoza Adrianna Vineyard White Bones 2022, from Mendoza, Argentina. The Mingyi wine, sourced from a vineyard situated at 2,700 meters elevation, presented a tight, concentrated profile with great acidity and a taut, saline finish. In contrast, the White Bones, from a 2.2-hectare plot that sits at 1,450 meters on calcareous, fossilized terroir, is arguably the most idiosyncratic chardonnay from South America. It's known for its exotic, minty nose that is both floral and gingery, alongside a chalky, linear texture.

The crowd’s pick in this case was the Mingyi Above the Creek, which edged out the White Bones by three votes. Those who picked the Mingyi loved its classic style, purity and concentration over the White Bones’ prominent personality. For most guests, it was their first time tasting both wines.

Next up was the Domaine Franco Chinois Huailai Reserve 中法庄园珍藏 2019, from the Huailai wine region of China, against the widely regarded Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2019. Domaine Franco-Chinois was originally established in 1999 as a joint Sino-French governmental project that introduced grapes like marselan and petite manseng from France to China. The merlot-cabernet sauvignon Huailai Reserve is one of the finest Bordeaux-style blends in China – especially so from the drier and warmer 2014 and 2019, both should be considered top vintages in the region.

That said, my expectations were low when comparing the Huailai Reserve 2019 against the terrific 97-point Lynch Bages 2019, but I was proven wrong. Many guests struggled to identify the Chinese wine, and the Huailai Reserve 2019 turned out to be the one greatly preferred in the group vote, defeating the Lynch Bages Pauillac by a wide margin.

Although I loved the more structured, deep and lead-pencil/graphite-laden notes from Lynch Bages – characteristic of fine Left Bank Bordeaux, especially fine Pauillac and St.-Julien – it was the Huailai Reserve’s sweeter and more approachable tannins, alongside the refined merlot plushness and more immediate drinkability, that won the crowd over.

Round three paired the Helan Qingxue Vineyard Ningxia Jiabeilan Reserve 贺兰晴雪酒庄加贝兰珍藏版 2019 from Ningxia with Napa Valley’s Amici Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard 2019. The Napa wine drew more votes for its velvety tannins, smoky dark fruit and sleek texture, but the Jiabeilan impressed with Bordeaux-like notes of black olive, red pepper and spice. For those favoring varietal typicity and subtle pyrazine over plushness, the Chinese cabernet was a worthy alternative.

The fourth face-off featured the prestigious Long Dai Qiushan 瓏岱丘山 2018 – DBR Lafite’s Shandong project – against Chile’s iconic Almaviva Puente Alto 2018. The Puente Alto edged out a two-vote victory with sweet currant, quince and tomato-leaf notes, while the Long Dai entry showcased serious depth and nuance from one of its best vintages. I was a bit surprised to see that Chilean wine took the stakes here, as its contender from Shandong showed extremely well with great depth, even though it is arguably less approachable. Of course, the 2018 vintage in Chile’s Central Valley is also one of the most acclaimed by winemakers who prize finesse and freshness over sheer richness and ripeness.

The finale matched the Ao Yun Shangri-La 2017, Moët Hennessy’s high-altitude Yunnan venture, against the Marchesi Antinori Toscana Solaia 2016, a Super Tuscan legend. The Solaia, a 100-point wine, as rated by James, scored a decisive win for its sangiovese character and cool-vintage freshness, which was a bit more agile and racy. The Ao Yun Shangri-La also impressed with its dense cabernet structure and graphite notes with concentration and deep color thanks to its high altitude. Now, I am curious to know if the result would be different had we selected the 2020 Ao Yun, which is, in my opinion, the best vintage to date from this admirable estate.

The three-hour dinner, with wines opened around two hours in advance, was not a “Judgment of Hong Kong,” but it marked a milestone for Chinese wine.

“The tasting confirms the Chinese wine revolution and what we are doing to cover the wines from China,” James told the crowd. “It’s not about who won tonight. The takeaway here is that it’s clear that these top Chinese wines can be compared with the best in the world.”

A long-time resident of Hong Kong, where his business is based, James added, “There is no doubt that Hong Kong plays an essential role in this renaissance of Chinese wines.”

– Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor