Puchang Vineyard Muscat 2018

100% Muscat. Hand picked in three passings - one for acidity, one for taste, and one for body. Fermented in French oak until 70% of the grapes have gone through malolactic fermentation. Aged in 100% new Bordeaux barriques for 12 months before bottling.

Aromatic and rich. Chrysanthemum, Pomelo, and passionfruit. Yellow fruits like durian, jackfruit and lychee. A fragrant galangal and tumeric earthiness, alongside spicy, toasty, well-integrated oak, balanced by a mango jelly edge.

~~~

Located in the heart of Xinjiang, near the Tian Shan Mountain, Puchang Vineyard could probably claim to be the furthest-inland vineyard in the world. 

Led by Italian winemaker Loris Tartaglia, these wines are a lesson in resilience and strong will. Defying China’s wine trends, Puchang has doubled down on varieties indigenous to Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Muscat and Beichun.

The family’s belief in their wines has paid off; the aromatic Muscat thrives in these conditions, and the potent Beichun is one-of-a-kind. Puchang Vineyard are more than just a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of Bordeaux blends; they demonstrate the quality that can be achieved by sticking to your gut. 

Organic certification was easily obtained, with the arid desert surrounding the vineyard offering natural pest control. The ancient Karez well system, in days past, making Xinjiang an oasis along the Silk Road, feeds glacier water from Tianshan into the vineyard - crucial in the harsh continental climate and drought-like conditions.