China producer profile: Lansai Winery – Yinchuan, Ningxia

In the 1990s, their parents were among the pioneers who planted grapevines on a massive scale in the Qingtongxia wastelands further south. Despite the challenges, the siblings were determined to inherit their parents’ winemaking venture and build a family estate.

While many producers in the young wine region opt for Western castle- style designs for their wineries, Lansai’s owners chose traditional Jin-style architecture, with upturned eaves and multi-tiered roofs, reflecting the family’s Shanxi roots.

Inside is a fully functional winery and clubhouse, just as the owners envisioned: a gathering point for friends and family just a 30-minute drive from Yinchuan city centre. The decor is completed with the family’s Chinese art and antique collections.

Winemaker Deng Zhongxiang, who graduated with a biology degree in China but trained as a winemaker in Burgundy, now consults for eight wineries in Ningxia. Lansai was among the first projects he took on, where he has held a terroir-driven philosophy since its first vintage in 2015.

He crafts a ‘reserved and balanced’ range using grapes from 13ha of sandy-gravel soils split between the Yinchuan and Yongning subregions.

A new wine –a 2021 Pinot Noir to be released in 2025 – is a favourite of Xiaojia and is sourced from a single vineyard planted in 2006. Its delicate, pure red fruit flavours showcase the region’s potential for elegant, lightweight reds.

Lansai Winery, Yu Moli Cabernet Sauvignon, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia 2020

2023 DWWA Gold – 96pts

DWWA: Classic nose of roasted coffee, forest floor, cedar, dried leaves, leather and generous red fruit. Long, with assertive, polished tannins. Aged 12 months in 40% new French oak. Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon 100%. Alc: 15.5%

Trade contact: +86 1389 5171988; 214444744@qq.com

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Read more about the wines of China:

China: Around the regions

Savour the diversity of Chinese wines

Changyu: China’s century-old wine legend