Silver Heights The Summit 2021 750ml

Silver Heights The Summit 2021 is the flagship red wine of Silver Heights Winery, one of China’s most internationally acclaimed premium estates founded by renowned winemaker Emma Gao. Produced from high-altitude vineyards in Ningxia’s Helan Mountain East Foothills, this wine represents the pinnacle of the estate’s biodynamic and terroir-focused philosophy.

Named after an ancient Chinese poem symbolizing ambition and spirit, “The Summit” showcases the remarkable potential of Ningxia for world-class fine wine production. The 2021 vintage is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon-based, with some sources noting a small inclusion of Petit Verdot or Merlot depending on market release. The wine underwent cold maceration, indigenous yeast fermentation, and approximately 18 months ageing in French oak barrels, including significant new oak influence.

Critics praised the 2021 vintage for its concentration, structure, and savoury complexity. James Suckling awarded the wine 93 points, highlighting notes of “charcoal, tapenade, tobacco leaves, cedar, roasted spices and creme de cassis” with a long structured finish reminiscent of mature Bordeaux from a warm vintage.

The style balances richness with freshness, combining dark fruit intensity, earthy minerality, smoky spice, and polished tannins, making it one of the benchmark fine wines of modern China.

Tasting Notes

Colour:
Deep ruby red with purple reflections and dense concentration

Nose:
Blackcurrant, cassis, black plum, cedar, charcoal, tobacco leaf, cocoa, black tea, shiitake mushroom, and roasted spice nuances

Palate:
Full-bodied with layered dark fruits, savoury earthy complexity, firm structured tannins, mineral tension, smoky oak integration, and vibrant acidity

Finish:
Long, powerful, and refined with lingering cassis, graphite, black tea, spice, and elegant savoury minerality