Pinot Noir

The cool-climate grape

Pinot Noir is famous for the great red wines of Burgundy and is one of the three main grapes of Champagne. It ripens early and has thin skins, so it needs a cool climate to keep its freshness and aromatic finesse. That makes it a challenge in much of China, where summers are hot and sunny.

The Hexi Corridor connection

The region where Pinot Noir feels most at home in China is the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, the cool, dry strip of oases along the old Silk Road. Decanter describes Pinot Noir and Welschriesling as the region's top performers. Mogao, the corridor's best-known winery, founded in Wuwei in the early 1980s, has made the Pinot family one of its specialities: its 30 Years Old Vine Pinot Noir 2019 won a Bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026, a rare example in China of wine from vines of that age.

Ningxia and the north

In Ningxia, several estates have taken on the challenge. Silver Heights makes a Pinot Noir called Jia Yuan, and Chandon China, Moët Hennessy's sparkling-wine estate opened in 2013, uses Pinot Noir with Chardonnay for its traditional-method sparkling wines. Near Beijing, Canaan Wine Estate in Huailai has also produced a Pinot Noir.

What to expect

Chinese Pinot Noir is usually lighter in colour and body than the country's Cabernet-based reds, with red-fruit aromas and soft tannins. The best examples show the freshness and delicacy that make the grape so loved elsewhere.