A legend of the Spring and Autumn period
Chateau Rongzi was founded in 2007 in Xiangning County, in southern Shanxi, by Zhang Wenquan, an entrepreneur from the coal industry. Its name comes from a local folk story: Rongzi, the mother of Duke Wen of Jin, a ruler of the Spring and Autumn period, is said to have discovered winemaking in this area some 2,700 years ago.
The Pétrus connection
Rongzi drew international attention by hiring Jean-Claude Berrouet, who oversaw 44 vintages at Pétrus in Pomerol, as consultant. Its chief winemaker, Zhang Huining, who joined in 2009, has played a key role in raising the wines' quality.
Wines from the loess
The vineyards lie on the Loess Plateau at an average altitude of about 1,100 metres. Rongzi is best known for its Cabernet-based reds, labelled by colour, and also grows Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chardonnay. Its wines have won medals including a Gold at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2017 for the Black Label 2013.
Why it matters
Alongside Grace Vineyard, Rongzi is the name that puts Shanxi on the map of Chinese fine wine.