LWF: Bibendum PLB expands its Chinese offering with new range

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 05 May, 2016

Bibendum PLB unveiled the latest addition to its portfolio at the London Wine Fair yesterday (May 4) - a Chinese wine created by Austrian winemaker Lenz Moser.

The wine, which has five bottles in the range, is from the Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia.

The Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 will be the first of several Chinese wines the distributor plans to add to its list this year.

Lenz Moser, who has been a consultant for the winery for the past 11 years, said it was time to throw himself in the deep end and create his own range for the winery.

He said: "Consulting doesn't work in China. Wine making is intuitive. I had to get really immerse myself in the project, so I spent three months in Ningxia creating the wines.

"Ningxia has ideal conditions for winemaking. It doesn't rain during the harvest and it has good soil, plus the government is really pro-Ningxia wines."

The introduction of this wine is the first step in the creation of a broader Chinese range at Bibdendum PLB.

Buying Director for Bibendum PLB Andrew Shaw said the future for Chinese wine will be "huge" in the UK.

"Financial and cultural investment by the government and individuals, and growing supplier confidence, will inevitably propel Chinese wine onto the global stage," he said.

"Regionality, varietal expression and terroir are becoming watch-words as never before, with Cabernet Sauvignon at the forefront in terms of grape varieties."

He added: "We intend to bring in more Chinese wines this year, from a variety of different suppliers, such is our belief in the region."

Moser compared China to other successful emerging wine regions of the past 30 years.

He added: "Bibendum PLB taking on China, Ningxia and Chateau Changyu Moser XV in particular is a game changer for China as an emerging wine country. The Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 will offer something new to English wine lovers.

"As the chief winemaker at the Chateau, I feel that this the beginning of something truly great - think of Chile 25 years ago or Napa 30 years ago."

The Moser XV 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is now available to the UK off-trade and on-trade.

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