ZAXEE Prayer‑Flag White Wine 2024 · 扎西核桃樹 經幡白 2024

Prayer flags fluttering beneath Meili Snow Mountain.

Region: Yunnan, China | Grape: 100% Chardonnay | Vintage: 2024 | Style: Oak-Aged Dry White (10-20 year ageing potential) | ABV: 13.0% | Volume: 750ml

Terroir
Ruiwa Village, Deqin, Yunnan, at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain, elevation 2,750m. A hamlet of just 15 households with intense sunshine and UV, a 160-day frost-free period, large diurnal but small annual temperature swings, winter lows no colder than -12°C, average rainfall of 380-450mm, and an average annual temperature of 12°C. Poor, thin soils (leached alpine soil mixed with gravel, pebbles and sandstone), irrigated with snowmelt, entirely hand-farmed.

Winemaking
Entirely hand-harvested, hand-sorted bunch and berry, gently crushed for free-run juice only, with natural cold settling. Slow fermentation in oak barrels over one month, aged on lees for 3 months with regular bâtonnage, then racked and aged a further 3 months — over 6 months in barrel in total before bottling unfiltered.

High Cru Tasting Notes
Decanted for 15 minutes. Pale golden in colour, with aromas of acacia flower, yellow apple, peach and honeydew; the native-yeast ferment and a natural-wine character come through clearly. Medium-high acidity on entry, a saline texture, a slight oiliness and the gentle spice of white flowers. Fragrant white blossom blends with tropical fruit, with notes of buttery biscuit and a touch of sesame, and lovely concentration. The finish turns spicy and faintly bitter, then settles into a delicate white-floral aftertaste. Overall the wine is lively, with a well-defined, three-dimensional acidity; the grip and spice are somewhat prominent, led by direct, exuberant floral and fruit aromas, with a fair degree of complexity and a long finish. At 2024 it still feels like it can be cellared — it has real ageing potential, and its rougher edges may well smooth out with time.