I never had such a disappointing experience visiting a winery. Having some knowledge of the Chinese wine world, my expectations were already low before getting to the property, but Chateau Changyu-Castel managed nevertheless to delude me.
The ticket to enter the historical site, where the winery was founded in 1892, costs 80 RMB (11 CHF). It includes the visit and the tasting of two wines. The visit consists of you having the “privilege” to walk by yourself through the historical building and the nearby vineyards. Not much explanation is available, neither in English nor in Chinese, and to a European visitor the structure is far from impressive.
The tasting is literally one sip of a (seems like) prestigious Cabernet Gernischt 2002 that sells for 568 ¥CN (80 CHF) and one sip of Ice Wine. The Cabernet Gernischt 2002 has a strong aroma of green bell pepper on the nose. In the mouth no much structure and no aftertaste. The Ice Wine was served at room temperature, which made it cloying.
Cabernet Gernischt is a red wine grape variety believed to have arrived in China in the late 19th Century from Bordeaux. It is grown widely in the country and seems to be one of China’s most successful varieties.
Cabernet Gernischt is actually the name used in China for Carmenère, although some studies have shown that certain plantings of Cabernet Gernischt in China may in fact be Cabernet Franc.
Chateau Changyu-Castel is jointly operated by Changyu, China’s oldest and largest winery, and Castel, the largest French wine producer and the country’s leader for table wines. The property is located in Yantai, a main city of Shandong, one of China’s major wine producing provinces.
Country: China
Region: Shandong
Grapes: Cabernet Gernischt
Type: Red
Vintage: 2002
Producer: Chateau Changyu-Castel
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 1/5