Highlights: Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Marselan 2018 China
Website: http://www.tsjz.com/
I’m mid-flight on my way to Hong Kong aboard Cathay Pacific, and this is the first time I’ve posted from the air. [Normally I avoid internet on board planes – it is nice to have a break from constant connectivity, but this flight offers it for free, and I succumbed to the temptation.]
The wine list isn’t terrible, and a nice touch is to offer a section called Discovery Wines, which in this case means Chinese wine. There are three options, but for logistical reason only one is carried from this list and I’m trying it now.
This wine comes from the Tiansai winery, which has 187 hectares of organically farmed vineyards in the Xinjang region, which is at the base of foothills near the Gobi desert. Decanter gave the previous vintage of this wine a whopping 95 points and a Gold medal. I thought it was really good, but not anywhere near that good.
Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Marselan 2018 Xinjang, China
14.5% alcohol. This winery was founded by Chen Lizhong in 2010 and farming is organic. Consultant winemaker is Li Demei. It’s sleek, ripe, modern and polished with vivid blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with an appealing green twist. This is pure, ripe and supple, and shows nice balance. It’s ripe and green at the same time, but it gets away with it. Finishes fresh. 90/100
