Hu Yue
The vintage
This vintage will likely become a reference vintage in the province of Shandong with an optimal maturation of the grapes with nice balance found in the wines. The season began with spring conditions conducive to the development of our vines with alternating rainy episodes and sunny periods. The flowering conditions from June 1 to 4 were very favourable for fruit set and allowed for a good output of bunches on all of our grape varieties. August was marked by a period of intense drought, thanks to which veraison was uniform and qualitative, favouring excellent conditions for the end of the season. The harvest then took place under the sign of a very fine late season resulting in exceptional harvest quality. A meticulous work of zoning the plots according to the balance of maturity for each terrace is carried out each year to select the optimum harvest date per terroir. We were thus able to start the harvest with our first plots of Merlot on September 12 and finished with Cabernet Sauvignon from October 5 to 13.
Location
The Long Dai Estate nestles in the heart of the Qiu Shan Valley in Shandong province, north-east China. The climate in this region is tempered by the influence of the Yellow Sea, about 20 km away. Highly dependent on agriculture, this region benefits from both mild winters and granite soils, making it favourable for viticulture.
Terroir
The 34 ha vineyard is spread over 420 terraces, following the agricultural tradition in the region. This planting method respects both the landscape and the soil structure but also requires a lot of manual work as well as specially adapted machines. Everything has been organised to apply high-precision viticultural methods. Disbudding and green harvesting naturally reduce yields, allowing the grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness. Winter in this region is dry and cold, but less severe than in other parts of the country. Building up soil around the feet of the vines is generally sufficient to ensure frost protection. The summer is hot and includes a short period of rain in July and August, followed by two months of dry weather during the critical ripening period. The grapes do not ripen uniformly due to the terrace system, so the harvesting of each terrace is carried out in several passes to ensure that all grapes are picked at the optimum degree of ripeness.
Winemaking
This wine is produced using traditional vinification methods for emblematic Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Controlled pumping-over allows a respectful extraction of each cuvée to obtain harmonious balances between roundness, finesse and length. The more southerly grape varieties such as Marselan and Syrah, for their part, are vinified in a gentler way with extractions facilitating a slow diffusion of aromatic and phenolic compounds. These two grape varieties bring complexity and depth to the final blend. Following the malolactic fermentation, Hu Yue is blended after tasting each cuvée and then matured in oak barrels produced at the DBR Lafite cooperage for 12 months. The combination of the different proportions of new barrels is essential to sublimate the final blend and reveal all its complexity and finesse.
Grapes
Tasting
Hu Yue is marked by aromas of black fruits such as blackberry and blackcurrant, followed by a spicy signature evoking black pepper and thus giving this wine a generous and powerful nose. The attack remains fresh, then giving way to roundness and power in the mouth. The length, supported by fine-grained tannins, is distinguished by sweet spice notes reminiscent of liquorice and white pepper. After aeration, we discover light notes of roasting, perfectly complementing the balance of this wine.
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