Tsing Tao Chardonnay 2005

Qing Dao, China, ¥78, cork seal

Another wine purchased in the big bad brewing town of Qingdao. The Tsing Tao Winery that this comes from is supposedly China's oldest having been established way back in 1912.

When I opened this my comments went something along the lines of "nice bottle", "nice colour", "nice nose", "what the f...". It's a lovely deep, golden colour, while the nose is an absolute delight. It smells of peaches, melon and honey with tropical fruits - maybe papaw and mango. This tastes good! The palate is crisp and refreshing with lemon, grapefruit, cantaloupe and pineapple flavours. The length is OK and the finish good, though it's a little thin across the middle. This is easily the best Chinese wine I've had to date. If I was being critical I'd have liked to have seen a little more depth to the mid-palate, but its gorgeous nose and refreshing crispness make it an attractive drop by the standards of any country. If you see the Tsing Tao Chardonnay 2005 around make sure you grab a bottle.