Long Dai: Disciples of Nature
Domaine de Long Dai was founded by the legendary Rothschild family in 2008 under the banner of their Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite — a passion project nestled in the Shandong Province of China, just a short drive from the shores of the Yellow Sea.
From the very beginning in 2008, everything had to be set up from scratch, including the vines themselves. The technical team started by exploring the soil, digging over 400 ditches to identify the best locations to plant, launching a program of precision viticulture still going strong today. After less than 20 years and with more than 36 hectares / 89 acres of vines in full production (and just 2,500 cases produced annually on average), Domaine de Long Dai has come into its own as a leading light in fine wine from China.
For this intrepid, far-eastern venture, the Rothschild family set out to give the wine an identity that would convey its perfect balance between nature and the people who have helped reveal its finest potential. Inspired by Shandong’s sacred mountain Taishan, the Long Dai logo mark represents an idealized mountain that rose through the power of nature and was then carefully chiseled by human hands. It represents the universal work of the winemaker: reveal the beauty hidden within the raw materials nature provides. (In Chinese, the complex version of the “Long” character means “chiseled like a jade tablet” and refers to an important tablet used by farmers to pray for a good crop.)
The property has been managed by General Manager Charles Treutenaere since April 2018, with the assistance of Juliette Couderc, technical manager, Zhang Peng, vineyard manager and Liang Chen, cellar master. Olivier Trégoat, technical director of DBR Lafite estates outside Bordeaux, provides technical supervision.
-
Founded
2008 -
Location
Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong Province, China
Terroir
Domaine de Long Dai is nestled in the heart of the Qiu Shan Valley in the Shandong Province in northeastern China. The climate here is hot, yet tempered by the influence of the Yellow Sea located a mere 20 kilometers / 12.43 miles away. The region is highly dependent on agriculture which, combined with the granitic soil, make it a highly interesting place to grow vines.
The winters are cold, but not as cold as other Chinese wine regions and the vines do not need to be covered to protect them from extremely harsh elements. The vineyard has been set up in collaboration with the local farmers of the nearby village of Mulangou, whose contribution and historical knowledge of the area was critical in complementing the know-how of the DBR teams. Nearly 20 villagers have joined the team on a permanent basis and, when required, they seek seasonal help amongst the other villagers.
Viticulture
The vines were planted in 2011 on terraces built in the granite soils from the foothills of the Qiu Shan Valley and feature cabernet sauvignon (38%), marselan (25%), merlot (15%), and cabernet franc (13%), along with smaller plantings of petit verdot, alicante, and syrah. They benefit from Shandong’s beautifully long, late growing season, yielding grapes that can be harvested at full maturity, by hand, through successive pickings. The vineyards are spread across 360 terraces as per the traditional agricultural methods in the region. This has enabled the preservation of the landscape and the soil structure, but also requires extra manual work and the use of adapted machinery.
Winemaking at Domaine de Long Dai
The wines are made according to traditional Bordeaux method. Fermentation starts immediately, with a gentle pump over to ensure gentle extraction of tannins. Total maceration time last between 18 and 21 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are blended prior to aging. Most of the barrels are made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac. The wine is bottled at the estate.
