THEWINEMONOLOGUES.COM: Silver Heights

Silver Heights

Before I departed the States for Shanghai, I did a bit of research about the "wine landscape" I would be living in. What I found greatly disappointed me. The promise of over-taxed imported wine did not make my departure a positive one— in terms of my wine future. The promise of very poor quality domestic wine here in China, albeit at a better price in most cases, made the departure depressing.

One ray of light though, both for me and the domestic market here, I discovered, was Silver Heights.

Here is what I learned. . .

Silver Heights' winemaker Emma Gao is one talented lady.

Up until a few years ago, Gao had no interest in the wine business. Fluent in French, she served as a translator to a Chinese government delegation sent to Bordeaux to learn more about the production of wine. During the lectures, she became intrigued with the process and decided to stay in France to learn about the technical side of producing wine. Her father, who worked for a government owned winery, told her that the Ningxia Province, where their family lives, had great potential to produce quality wine. She was one of 300 applicants (for 30 spots) who applied to the esteemed Diplome National d'Oenologue in Bordeaux. Not only did she gain entrance, but became a trailblazer as both a Chinese national, and a woman, who holds a degree from this well honored institution. After graduation, she honed her skills in St. Estephe with Chateau Calon-Segur and Chateau Lafon-Rouchet before heading back to the Middle Kingdom.

When Gao returned to China, she learned the business side of wine by working at Torres China, a division of the Spanish wine firm and one of the three largest distributors in mainland China. When she was not learning this side of the business in Shanghai, Gao was back home in Ningxia developing her new family winery.

Ningxia is located in northwestern China, close to Inner Mongolia. It's land is not suitable to grow rice, but is good for grapes as it has a high altitude and an abundance of clay, sand and slate. Silver Heights is comprised of just 5 acres of land on the slopes of Helan Shan, a mountain range that separates Ningxia from Mongolia. Between grapes grown on property and others purchased from other growers in China, 2008 production was 6,000 bottles.

Silver Heights produces two wines, 'The Family Reserve' and 'The Summit'. Both are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Germischt, a variety unique to China, believed to be a clone of Cab Franc. The difference between the two are where the grapes are grown. The Summit grapes are grown in a mix of slate and clay on the mountain side. Grapes for the Family Reserve are grown closer to a river, where the soil has more sand and slate.

A true family business, Gao and her father tend to the grapes, her mother is the lab technician, and her sister is the accountant. The family goal is to produce 30,000 bottles annually, but only from good quality grapes. (Unlike the rest of the Chinese wine industry that carries a business model that tries to get their grapes to market as fast as they can—to meet the ever-growing demand here in China for wine. This leads to grapes being harvested before they are mature and, poor tasting wine).

Gao had two "breaks" with Silver Heights. While working for Torres in 2007 learning the business end of wine, she got up the courage to ask her bosses if they would taste her wine. They loved it. They realized that, just under their noses, they had a serious winemaker that should be encouraged to pursue her passion. They helped her with labeling, packaging and distribution and they continue to do business here in Shanghai and throughout China. Gao's second break was a score of 82 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and a 16 out of 20 points by Jancis Robinson for the 2007 Family Reserve. These scores may not seem important to wine enthusiasts in the rest of the world, but, they are both huge advances for this wine region.

Here is what I know. . .

I have now, three times, tasted the 2009 Silver Heights Family Reserve. Once in Mistral, a local tapas restaurant, once at Char, a local steak house, and the other, I purchased retail- albeit from Mistral (it is hard to find the wine here in stores— easiest to order direct from Torres and their site Everwines).

Interestingly, on the purchase at Mistral, the waitress was so surprised that I, a "westerner", had picked the Chinese wine from their impressive wine list, that she inquired about how I knew of the wine and then, later, when we finished the bottle, whether we enjoyed it or not. I told her we had enjoyed the wine and purchased another bottle to take home— surprising her even more.

The 2009 Silver Heights Family Reserve is comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Germischt. Deep garnet in color, it has a nose of bing cherry, dusty wet basement and a slight hint of blackberry jam. The palate initially hits you with tastes of cherry and blackberry. The mid-palate is lacking a bit but the cherry flavors continue to a finish of cherries and chocolate.

This is not a "great" wine. It is a good wine. It is though a lot better than most of the other domestic wines here. What intrigues me about Silver Heights is their willingness to take their time in producing wine in China. Most other winemakers pick their grapes like they were apples or oranges. Silver Heights understands that growing quality grapes for their wines is the proper way to do it. China has been around for a long time and changing the way business is done here will take a long time. Silver Heights is well on its way to doing just that and I look forward to watching them grow while I am here.

I understand that most who read this post cannot purchase a bottle of Silver Heights— yet. In years to come though, who knows.

Cheers!