A second generation
Lansai was started in 2009 by Yu Xiaojia and her brother in Ningxia's Yinchuan sub-region. Their parents had been among the pioneers who planted vineyards on a large scale in the Qingtongxia wasteland in the 1990s, and the siblings decided to carry on the family's work by building their own estate.
Chinese architecture
While many Ningxia wineries copy Western châteaux, Lansai chose traditional Jin-style architecture, with upturned eaves and tiered roofs, a nod to the family's roots in Shanxi. Inside are the winery and a clubhouse decorated with the family's Chinese art and antiques, about 30 minutes from Yinchuan.
Balanced wines
Winemaker Deng Zhongxiang, who trained in Burgundy, has made the wines since the first vintage in 2015, with a 'reserved and balanced' style from 13 hectares of sandy-gravel soils. The Yu Moli Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 won a Gold medal with 96 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, and Decanter has singled out Lansai, with Helan Qingxue, for its delicate Pinot Noir.
Why it matters
Lansai shows the new face of Ningxia: family estates with their own identity and wines of finesse.