Attendees of the China Sommelier Summit in Shanghai were treated to a new local white wine producer pouring smack dab in the middle of the event.
Lan Yue, established in Yantai in 2021, is just a stone’s throw from the sea off China’s east coast in Shandong province. The team poured six wines, ranging from well-known grapes Albarino, Chardonnay (two versions) and Viognier to the rarer Pinot Iskra and Soleri.
The winery’s timing is fortuitous given the current rise of white wines in China. Not only are New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and German Rieslings among the notable winners in an otherwise declining market, but local producers are also reaching out to consumers, including those who gambled on red grape varieties and are now releasing Blanc de Noirs.
Lan Yue planted its first vines in 2023 and recently released its first wines, with Albarino of special note. The vineyards cover some 230 mu / 15.5 hectares, of which 40 mu / 2.7 hectares of this signature Spanish grape.
“Albarino was not selected at random,” posts Lan Yue, proclaiming “the coastal landscape of Penglai [in Shandong] has a certain soul-searching fit” with the Atlantic coast, where this grape originates, with that region’s climate, low cloud cover and year-round sea breeze all cited, not to mention the ensuing wines of “high acidity and citrus and white flower aromas.”
In sum, Albarino allows Lan Yue to explore the question, “What does a species from the Atlantic Coast say on the hills of Bohai Bay?” And at least part of the answer is some of the grape’s heritage is reflected even while it adapts to a new terroir.
In any case, save for the Chardonnay Reserve, Lan Yue wines are unoaked and in general reveal some aromatic complexity, pure playful fruit and enticing acidity, with the Albarino epitomizing this overall sense. I sipped on this while watching the China Wine List of the Year awards being announced and wondered how many of next year’s menus would be featuring Lan Yue.
These wines will no doubt appeal to sommeliers and consumers as a coastal counterpoint to the fast-rising success of high-altitude white wines from Yunnan province. To be fair, Lan Yue is not alone as we have also seen other worthy Shandong wines popping up, from producers such as Nine Peaks, Longting and Mystic Island.
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