Long Dai 2020 · 瓏岱 2020

The fourth wine of our Chasing Terroir: Shandong dinner — Domaine de Long Dai, Chateau Lafite Rothschild's own China project, poured to show structure.

Region: Qiu Shan Valley, Penglai, Shandong, China | Grape: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 20% Marselan (2020) | Vintage: 2020 | Style: Dry Red | Aged 18 months in French oak | Volume: 750ml

Terroir
Long Dai was sited in 2008 by DBR (Lafite) deep in the Qiushan valley, only about 20 km from the Yellow Sea. The maritime climate keeps winters mild enough that the vines need no winter burial, and after a short rainy season summer brings a dry spell of up to two months, favouring late ripening. The subsoil is easily weathered granite bedrock topped with sand, sandy clay and silty clay, and the estate is cut into more than 500 terraces that preserve the landform and soil structure, giving each plot its own expression.

Winemaking
A joint venture between DBR Lafite and CITIC, often called "the Chinese Lafite." Each variety is vinified separately with 15–20 days of gentle skin-contact extraction, then malolactic fermentation and blending, followed by 18 months in French oak — built on Lafite's philosophy of precise extraction and balance.

High Cru Tasting Notes
Deep, bright ruby. Young and layered on the nose — blackcurrant, black cherry and black plum give way to cedar, graphite, pencil shavings, licorice, cocoa, tobacco and Asian spice, opening with air to violet, mint and a whisper of coastal minerality. The palate leads with precision rather than power: pure, concentrated black fruit, taut lively acidity, and fine velvety tannin. Long finish of black fruit, graphite, cedar and mineral. A Chinese fine wine built on structure, balance and ageing potential — not an imitation of Bordeaux, but Lafite's winemaking philosophy expressed through Penglai's coastal terroir.

Food Pairing
Hand-torn chicken and duck leg, slow-braised duck — the wine's ripe, fine tannin and structure match the dish's richer, more concentrated flavors as an equal partner rather than a supporting act.