Vintage Character XiaoLing RiZui Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a boutique single-vineyard red from Shangri-La in Yunnan, one of China’s most distinctive fine-wine frontiers. The 2018 growing season delivered a balanced expression of the region: strong mountain sunlight and a long, cool ripening period helped build aromatic precision and freshness while allowing the fruit to reach full phenolic maturity. RiZui’s identity is rooted in the dramatic high-altitude valleys of northwestern Yunnan, where vineyards sit in the upper Mekong corridor and benefit from intense diurnal shifts, abundant light, and well-drained mountain soils that naturally favor concentration without sacrificing lift.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing In the glass, this wine shows ripe blackcurrant, dark cherry and blackberry layered with violet, mountain herbs and a touch of graphite, followed by subtle cedar, spice and cocoa nuances. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with vivid acidity, fine but persistent tannins, and a firm, linear structure that gives the wine both energy and definition; the finish is savory, stony and quietly floral. It pairs especially well with herb-crusted lamb rack, roast duck, or grilled portobello mushrooms.
Winery Background XiaoLing is a tiny Shangri-La estate shaped by collaboration between Chinese talent and Burgundian know-how, with Mu Chao working alongside Sylvain Pitiot, formerly of Clos de Tart. The project is known for very small, fragmented mountain parcels tended largely by hand, with farming rooted in traditional local practice and a strong respect for site transparency. In the cellar, the aim is finesse rather than weight, using careful extraction and measured oak to frame the fruit rather than dominate it. That combination of Himalayan altitude, artisan scale and Burgundian precision makes XiaoLing one of the most compelling names in modern Chinese wine.