Chateau Changyu Moser XV lies just west of Beijing in the province of Ningxia, in China’s most renowned wine-growing region. The winery has its roots in the Changyu company, founded in 1892 when Chinese diplomat Zhang Bishi imported more than 500,000 vines from the US and Europe, paving the way for Chinese wine production.

In 2013, 15th generation Austrian winemaker Lenz Moser became involved with this historic winery, and launched Chateau Changyu Moser XV. Since then, the estate has gone full steam ahead into the international market.

Lenz’s focus on vineyard management, blending and ageing has taken the quality of these wines to the next level, offering a shining example of Cabernet Sauvignon from Ningxia. Every stage of wine production at Changyu Moser takes place at the chateau, from pressing and fermentation, to maturation. The site even has its own museum, showcasing Chinese winemaking history.

While largely Bordeaux in style, Ningxia is developing its own unique sense of terroir. For Lenz, this terroir comes through as “a unique kind of Chinese spice” that you don’t find anywhere else. It’s a labour of love, too. While warm and sunny in summer, Ningxia can regularly plummet to -25°C in the winter, meaning expert vine care is needed to avert danger in this extreme terroir.