One of the most exciting wines emerging from China’s new wave of independent producers, XiaoPu Gathering MV7 is a vibrant multi-vintage blend that challenges every preconception of Chinese wine. Crafted by pioneering winemaker Ian Dai, this expressive red combines fruit from Ningxia into a wine that sits somewhere between the energy of Beaujolais and the savoury complexity of the Northern Rhône. The seventh release of this cult cuvée is an eclectic blend of 51% Syrah, 25% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, 5% Welschriesling, 5% Muscat, 2% Marselan and 2% Dunkelfelder. The result is wonderfully aromatic and lifted, bursting with wild strawberry, raspberry, cherry and plum, layered with rose petals, violets, Mediterranean herbs, olive tapenade and a subtle floral note reminiscent of gardenia. Juicy, fresh and effortlessly drinkable, Gathering MV7 offers fine tannins, bright acidity and remarkable complexity for its price point. It is a wine that speaks not only of place but of a new generation of Chinese winemaking—creative, thoughtful and unbound by convention.
