Uutiset
Launch of the Second Wine from Domaine de Long Dai
Domaines Barons de Rothschild group (Lafite) is pleased to announce the launch of its Second Wine from Domaine de Long Dai, in China.
In 2019, the group revealed the long-awaited identity of its estate in China and the launch of the first vintage of its Grand Vin, Long Dai. This year DBR (Lafite) is embarking on a new challenge with the release of a Second Wine, named Hu Yue.
“At the origin of the name Hu Yue, was the idea to reveal a sacred alliance between Chinese culture, respect for the elements and nature’s uncontrollable cycle.” said Saskia de Rothschild, Chairwoman of DBR (Lafite). “What better character than “Hu” that refers to a jade tablet, that was an important tool used in ancient times by farmers to pray for a good harvest!”
Together with another character (po), the set designates amber (Hu Po), which is of cultural importance in China. The character “Hu”also recalls the symbol for the tiger, the second sacred animal in China. The second character “Yue” represents all of the 5 sacred mountains of China and links back to the sacred Mount Dai referenced in the name of the estate.
“To create this Second Wine, the team in Shandong carefully chose an assortment of plots within our more than 400 terraces.” Explained Technical Director Olivier Trégoat. “The objective was to reveal a deeply aromatic character, full of black fruits with a spicy signature that would differentiate this wine from our Grand Vin.”
The Shandong region benefits from mild winters and beautiful late seasons, providing optimal conditions for the development of the grapes. 2018, the first vintage of Hu Yue, was no exception to the rule and is already being considered a reference vintage in the region thanks to its ideal maturation and perfectly balanced wines.
Hu Yue continues the tradition of Long Dai wines by blending emblematic Bordeaux grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with more southern grape varieties such as Marselan and Syrah. This produces a harmonious balance between roundness, finesse and length, punctuated by complexity and depth in the final blend.
This Second Wine achieves harmony in the blend due to the carefully chosen proportions of each grape variety as well as its maturation for 12 months in oak barrels from the DBR Lafite cooperage in Bordeaux.
We find a balance that is characterised by roundness and richness, and a precision that is the signature of the wines of Domaine de Long Dai and DBR Lafite. Hu Yue is powerful and charming, like the tiger depicted on the bottle.
Hu Yue will be sold at Domaine de Long Dai, as well as on the estate’s WeChat store from November 2020.