Xi Jingping shares a toast with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge
Xi Jingping shares a toast with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace.
(Image credit: Dominic Lipinski / WPA Pool / Getty)

A UK state banquet held for visiting Chinese president Xi Jinping included Chateau Haut-Brion 1989, a 2009 vintage English sparkling wine and vintage Port, sources have told Decanter.com.

Around 150 guests attended the Xi Jinping dinner held last at Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen. Guests also included prime minister David Cameron and Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.

Other wines chosen from the government’s £3m hospitality cellar included a Chateau Haut-Brion 1989, a regular fixture at fine wine auctions and a lauded Bordeaux vintage for several chateaux, according to a source with knowledge of the event.

Guests also drank Warre’s vintage Port from 1977, one of the most highly rated years in the Douro, plus a Meursault Premier Cru Santenots 2007 from Domaine Marquis d’Angerville in Burgundy and Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2008 from South Africa.

Officials in the UK government’s cellar rate occasions as either A, B or C in order to help decide the wines that are chosen for dinners and functions.

With the pomp and ceremony surrounding Xi Jinping’s visit, it was clear that the Chinese president has made the top tier. The UK government said his presence will ‘unlock’ £30bn in commercial deals.

A dinner menu from Buckingham Palace, published by the Guardian on its live blog last night, included a loin of venison from the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland, served in a Madeira and truffle sauce. To start, guests ate filet of west coast turbot with lobster mousse.

There was a ‘delice’ of dark chocolate, mango and lime for dessert.

See the full menu:

Xi Jinping menu, Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

(Extra reporting by Harry Fawkes and Sylvia Wu)

Updated 23/10/15: Meursault was missing a ‘u’ in the initial version. Apologies for the slip.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.