2021 Silver Heights 'The Summit' 750ml

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Awards, Ratings & Reviews

94/100 — Winepilot · 2021 Vintage
“This wine takes its name from a famous ancient Chinese poem that represents the spirit of the people of Ningxia. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon hand picked and selected before undergoing cold maceration and temperature controlled fermentation in neutral oak. Aged in 50% new French oak and 50% 1-year-old oak barrels for 18 months. Dark, brooding and dusty aromas on opening. Black plum, black cherry, tomato leaf, and dried currant lead the charge, followed by salty seared meat, ash, cocoa and black tea. There’s some liquorice in the mix and some shiitake mushroom coming out with air, too. Lots going on here. The palate is full bodied and packed with flavour with a smoky and savoury sensibility. Black currant, black cherry, shiitake mushroom, campfire ash, black plum, and black tea are coiled within a fine but very firm sheath of earthy tannins and black fruited acidity. This is all carried long through the palate with the savoury earth and mushroom notes lingering in the mouth perfume. They haven't shied away from ripeness here at 15% abv, but they have balanced it well thanks to powerful complexity, sapidity and structure. It's not for the faint of heart, and it's a food wine for sure, but there’s a lot of interest and intrigue here. A Cabernet like no other I've tasted.”

92/100 — VertdeVin · 2021 Vintage (Tasted: Apr 2025)
“(100% Cabernet Sauvignon / Demeter): The wine has got a deep ruby color. The first nose is a little bit closed, it’s a wine that needs aeration. Little by little, the black fruits are appearing with a nice freshness.”

90/100 — The Wine Front · 2021 Vintage (Tasted: Feb 2025)

?/100 — James Suckling · 2021 Vintage (Tasted: Jul 2024)
“This shows a bit more concentration, if not ripeness, than the 2022 Summit, which was tasted side by side. Charcoal, tapenade, tobacco leaves, cedar, roasted spices and creme de cassis. Good depth of flavors on the full-bodied palate, with a mouthful of round, dusty tannins and a long, structured finish. Tastes like a ripe, aged Bordeaux from a warm year. Drink now.”

About This Wine

This flagship wine takes its name from a famous ancient Chinese poem representing the spirit of the people of Ningxia. The wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, hand picked and selected before undergoing cold maceration and temperature-controlled fermentation in neutral oak.

The wine is aged for 18 months in oak barrels, with 50% new French oak and 50% one-year-old oak, and filtered using the traditional Bordeaux method.

Tasting Notes

Black fruit is restrained, allowing integrated oak characters of cocoa, toast and nutmeg to lead, complemented by savoury notes of shiso leaf, shiitake mushroom and pu’er tea.

About the Winery

Silver Heights is a family-owned winery in Ningxia, founded in 2007 by Emma Gao and her father. The winery focuses on artisanal winemaking, using indigenous yeasts, minimal filtration and minimal sulphur. After completing a National Diploma in Oenology in 2002 and several vintages in Bordeaux, including two years at Calon Ségur, Emma Gao returned to Ningxia to develop the family vineyard into a world-class estate.

In 2015, Silver Heights began producing wines from 100% estate fruit. The vineyards have been farmed biodynamically and organically since 2018, and the estate achieved Demeter certification in 2023.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2021
• Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Region: Eastern Helan Foothills / Ningxia / China
• Alcohol: 15%
• Maturation: 18 months in oak barrels (50% new French oak, 50% 1-year-old oak)
  
• Production Attributes: Indigenous yeasts; minimal filtration; minimal sulphites; Demeter certified biodynamic
• Closure: Cork
• Drinking Window: 2025–2036
• Winery: Silver Heights