2006 Dragon Hollow Chardonnay China

This chardonnay is a pronounced light straw color. The nose is hinted with tropical qualities, soft lychee, starfruit and green apple. On the palate the texture is creamy with a good length and clean aftertaste.

Ningxia Hui, China Dragon’s Hollow, the first Chinese winery to produce a high quality grape wine is located at the foot of the He Lan mountain range in Ningxia Hui, China. The vineyard was started in 2003, but the vines were originally planted in the early 90’s. The land covers an area of 6,000 hectares and is the largest top quality vineyard in Western China. The landscape looks like a huge green mirror inlaid in the vast expanse of the Loess Plateau. China’s best varieties of wine grapes are grown in this region profiting from the sandy soil which is rich in organic content. Experts from both China and abroad have found the natural conditions in this region are even better than those found in France’s Bordeaux region and agree that it is the best ecological zone in China for growing top quality wine grapes.

The lofty He Lan Mountains shelter the vineyard from cold winds in the winter and local spring water is used to irrigate the vineyard in the spring and summer. Dry weather and long hours of sunshine ensure that the grapes grow to full ripeness with superb colors, a full aroma, and an enchanting taste. The long and cold winter helps to ward off plant diseases and insect pests. Winemaking is Ningxia has a history of over 1,000 years. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) a famous poet wrote a poem in praise of the wine made in Ningxia . During the 11th and 12th centuries the Xixia Kingdom flourished here. The Capital city Yinchuan, used to be an important town on the ancient silk road where many merchants came to trade. They brought the local wine to other parts of the country making it known far and wide. Rock carvings in the He Lan Mountains are testimony to the cultural exchanges between different ethnic groups in ancient times. Today the people of Yincuangxia are carrying forward the fine tradition of wine making by adopting high technology and modern management Broadbent selections