Helan Mountain (保乐力加贺兰山) Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 贺兰山赤霞珠葡萄酒

Year ago, I visited China and discovered their wines for the first time. I wasn't importantly impressed, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few of them. When I recently acquired this bottle, I purchased it immediately. The nose is delicate, with delicate suggestions of cherries, bilberries, and blueberries. The taste is disappointingly mild, lacking the expected substance and complexity. The wine has a soft mineral quality and a hint of bitterness, but the aftertaste is surprisingly polished and the tannins are well-balanced. The follow through is pleasant, but the all around impact is one of understatement.

I purchased this bottle in duty-free Beijing as a curiosity. I consumed it one year later and it showed signs of oxidation. I intend to return.