Chateau Sungod Traditional Method Sparkling Chardonnay 2006

13 years on lees — the wine that launched China's traditional-method sparkling category.

Region: Shacheng, Huailai-Zhuolu Basin, Hebei, China | Grape: 100% Chardonnay | Vintage: 2006 | ABV: 12% | Style: Traditional Method Sparkling

Terroir
The Shacheng basin sits along the Sanggan River, atop deep Nihewan paleosol formed over 3 million years. Elevation 450-1,000m, gravelly-sandy soils rich in selenium and calcium, ~2,798 hours of annual sunshine and ~400mm rainfall, irrigated with Tianshan snowmelt — giving Chardonnay exceptional acidity and flavor concentration.

Winemaking
Made in the traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle) — Chateau Sungod produced China's first bottle-fermented sparkling wine in 1986, refining the technique further in 2006 with input from the Champagne wine school. The base wine undergoes secondary fermentation in bottle the following year and rests on lees for 13 years, developing rich autolytic character before disgorgement.

High Cru Tasting Notes
Pale gold with fine, persistent bubbles. Pronounced toasted bread, hazelnut and honey aromatics from extended lees aging, alongside ripe pineapple, yellow peach and a touch of baked apple. Smooth, silky entry with acidity that still holds it together despite the ripeness — nutty, orchard-fruit and lees character carry through a long finish. A sparkling wine with a real sense of time behind it, still showing beautifully.