Château Nine Peaks stands alone on a hill surrounded by its vineyards. Not very different from any upscale wine property you would find in the West, except that this winery is located in the Far East.
Founded ten years ago by Karl-Heinz Hauptmann, an investor with a passion for wine, Château Nine Peaks aims to become a benchmark of fine wine in China, a country that unfortunately currently produced a sea of very mediocre wines.
I visited Château Nine Peaks at the end of October, after in July I had the pleasant surprise of discovering its Chardonnay Reserve 2015 while visiting the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux (see my post of August 25, 2019: https://www.thelovedwine.com/chateau-nine-peaks-chardonnay-reserve-2015). The Chinese wines I tasted before this encounter were all barely drinkable.
This being the first Chinese wine I found enjoyable, made me curious about learning more about Château Nine Peaks and tasting more of its wines. For this reason I decided to take the troubles of coming the long way to the Shandong province of China, on the peninsula south of Beijing on the other side of the Bohai Gulf.
The visit has definitely been worth the journey. Emma, the brand manager, has been an outstanding host and reserved me a very special attention. She guided me through the property and offered me, together with Denise, the Italian cellar master, an extensive wine tasting, which included: the newest Cabernet Gernischt and Petit Verdot as well as the still experimental Marsanne from the vats; two Chardonnays and a Cabernet Sauvignon from the barrels; the Chardonnay Reserve 2018, the Rose Pinkker 2018, the Cabernet Franc 2016 and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2016. The last bottle Emma offered me to take with me to enjoy in the evening, one of her special treats.
The wines are well made, although not outstanding yet. Maybe one day they will, maybe not. In any case, I have the impression that Karl is doing a good job and is on the right way in making a Chinese wine that can stand the international competition.
On behalf of the wine enthusiasts’ community I feel like thanking people like Karl for the troubles they go through and the resources they invest in developing the world of fine wines, which benefit us all.
Being a wine pioneer in China must not be easy. A market overflowed with cheap wine, a country where rootstocks, equipment and winemaker must be imported, a region where qualified manpower is difficult to find and a land whose terroir is untested.
I think there is a good probability that once they understand how to make a better product, the Chinese will deliver us wines with a good PQR, which will enrich us all, as they have done with many products we use daily.
In the West we tend to forget it, but if today we are able to enjoy the standard of living we do, it is also thanks to the Chinese, who produce a lot of goods we consume for cheap. One day they may do it with wines as well. The high-quality wines instead they will most likely have to keep importing for a long time.
The wines sold at Château Nine Peaks winery are priced between 30 and 130 CHF. Expensive for European standards, but fairly priced for the wildly overpriced Chinese wine-market. As an example, for the Chardonnay Reserve I tasted in France you have to pay almost 50 CHF (336 RMB). I paid 20 EUR in France.
Country: China
Region: Shandong
Grapes: Cabernet Gernischt, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Marsanne, Chardonnays
Type: Red, White
Vintage: 2016, 2018, 2019
Producer: Château Nine Peaks
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5