HELAN MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON BLANC DE NOIR

GRAPE: Cabernet Sauvignon | ALCOHOL CONTENT: 14.5 % Vol. | BOTTLE SIZE: 750ml

TASTING NOTES BY LENZ M. MOSER

The analytics show an increase in the acidity from 2017 to 2023 to 5,8 g/L (from 5,4) – you can taste the difference with the wine showing more grip and freshness. Despite the impression of a certain “sweetness” on the palate, the wine is bone-dry. The small Ningxia berries give a lot of extraction (ca. 25 % more than in European Cabernet Sauvignon grapes); due to the extremely dry climate the skin-to-juice ratio produces more solids in the wine – hence also a unique concentration of fruit flavours:

Aroma: Grapefruit peel, citrussy combined with exotic fruit aromas.

Palate: A range of new flavours, echoing the aromatic experience on the nose. Luscious, generous, yet elegant and zippy on the palate. The profile of this unique wine sits between a typical unoaked Chardonnay and a racy Sauvignon Blanc from the Old World – introducing a completely new flavour profile. The wine will age for a long period of time.

PRODUCTION NOTES

2023 was a great year in Ningxia– especially for a White Cabernet type of wine
Vines around 18 years old
100% Cabernet Sauvignon (Early harvest of healthy berries with 22-23 brix for blending options)
Immediate bleeding of the de-stemmed grapes for the white in the Cabernet Sauvignon – we have 10 minutes to make this wine with no wood treatment at all
growing and blending under close supervision of Lenz M. Moser (Chief Winemaker Chateau Changyu Moser XV) who spent the entire harvest period in Ningxia
“Mise en bouteille au château/Estate bottled“: bottled for the very first time at the Château in February 2024 by Lenz M. Moser
True innovation as this white cabernet is still the first one in the world