Decanter World Wine Awards 2013: 20 Chinese wines nab awards, led by Great Wall, Helan Mountain

By Jim Boyce

Decanter has released the results of its 2013 World Wine Awards and 20 entries of the 49 entries from China received a ranking of “commended” or higher. While the total number of wines receiving awards was higher this year, the pickings were slimmer, with silver the top achievement. The vast majority of awards were taken by Domaine Helan Mountain and Xi Xia Wang in Ningxia and by mega operators Dynasty and COFCO, the latter by its brands Great Wall and Chateau SunGod.

Wine operators in China have been entering the annual Decanter awards for the better part of a decade. The most press came in 2011 when a Ningxia wine — “Jia Bei Lan Dry Red 2009” from Helan Qing Xue — won a “regional trophy“, went on to claim an “international trophy” and caused quite a ruckus — see Decanter’s response to the ruckus. Last year, a wine from Chateau Reifeng-Auzias won a gold medal. (Note: I have tried wine from Reifeng-Auzias twice and found it sub-par.)

It is obvious, but worth mentioning, that the awards do not indicate the best wines in the world, or even in China, but the best wines of those entered and as determined by the judges.

Here are this year’s award winners. This info is re-organized from the Decanter site. See the image below for the official list.

Silver

• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2011, Ningxia
• Great Wall Terroir 2006, Shandong

Bronze

• Château Sungod Prime Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Hebei
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Ningxia
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Merlot 2010, Ningxia
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Pinot Noir 2010, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery Merlot Imperial Noble Cask Collection 2003, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery Premier Royal Selection 2008, Tianjin
• Great Wall Terroir Reserve 2008, Hebei
• Great Wall Terroir Riesling 2011, Shandong
• Ningxia Xi Xia King Winery Italian Riesling Dry White Wine 2011, Ningxia

Commended

• Chateau Hedong Manor Chardonnay 2012, Ningxia
• Château Sungod Reserve Riesling 2009, Hebei
• Domaine Helan Mountain Xiao Feng 2010, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery You Like NV, Tianjin
• Great Wall Centenary Old Vine Longyan 2012, Hebei
• Great Wall Chateau Huaxia, The Chief Winemaker’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Hebei
• Great Wall Chateau Yunmo 2010, Ningxia
• Ningxia Xi Xia King Winery Chardonnay 2011, Ningxia
• Xiangdu Les Champs D’Or 2003, Xinjiang

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See also:

• Decanter Wine Awards 2012: Did China wine more medals because it had more entries?
• Decanter Wine Awards 2012: 17 wines, 9 producers in China receive regional recognition
• China wine word: Decanter’s Sarah Kemp reflects on Jia Bei Lan brouhaha
• From Xinjiang to Liaoning: Five years of Decanter awards for Chinese wines

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