
Silver Heights
银色高地
Few others have achieved as much recognition for their commitment to China’s wine industry as Silver Heights’ Emma Gao, one of the few female owner-winemakers in the country.
With a foot in both the traditional and innovative, spurred by her awareness of climate change, Emma’s wines blend technical expertise with a profound respect for nature and tradition, encapsulating Ningxia’s style as both an established and evolving wine region.
An incredibly vivacious and committed winemaker, Emma Gao ensures Silver Heights continue to set the standard for authentic, environmentally-conscious, quality-driven Chinese wine.
Winemaker: Emma Gao
Established: 2007
Location: Eastern Foothills of Helan Mountain
Farming Method: Biodynamic, Demeter-Certified
Vineyard Size: 70 hectares / 200,000 bottles per annum
Vineyard: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Pinot Noir, 10% Marselan, 10% Chardonnay, 10% various white varieties (incl. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia, Muscat, Gewurztraminer), 10% various red varieties (incl. Grenache, Barberda, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Syrah, Dornfelder, Malbec, Carmenere
Emma’s father, Gao Lin, with the vineyard before planting, 1999
Born and raised in Ningxia, Emma followed her father, Gao Lin, to study economic agriculture in St Petersburg. Inspired by the prestige and refinement of wine culture in Bordeaux, Gao Lin sought to bring wine culture back to China. planting Cabernet Sauvignon vines near their hometown in 1999.
The same year, Emma agreed with her father to move to France to study oenology and the University of Bordeaux. With a Diplome National d’Oenologue, Emma landed a position at Château Calon-Ségur, where she met her future husband, cellar master-to-be Thierry Courtade.
Returning to China in 2004 and working in wine sales in Shanghai. Emma took an opportunity to work a vintage in Xinjiang and made her first independent cuvée. However, upon returning to bottle the wine, she found it had been blended into a larger wine.
The timing was perfect - with 8-year-old vines, Emma moved back to Yinchuan and guided Silver Heights through their first vintage in 2007 - producing 10 barrels of ‘Emma’s Reserve’.
A chance trip to Burgundy’s Domaine Leroy in 2009 introduced Emma to biodynamic farming, setting in motion an 8-year-long decision to pursue biodynamic farming herself.
During that time, Emma’s wines were used in the ‘Ningxia vs. Bordeaux’ critic’s tasting in 2001, where ‘The Summit’ was ranked second place. Her wines were also served at State Dinners with Angela Merkel and Emmanual Macron in 2016 and 2019, respectively.
In 2017, Emma suffered a spinal injury that incapacitated her, reducing her winemaking capacity. Frustrated with the outcomes from surgery and modern medicine, she found relief instead through Chinese traditional medicine and acupuncture, inspiring Emma to look at her life, and winery, from a more holistic perspective. Based on her experince with biodynamic farming methods 8 years earlier, she implemented it immediately, complemented with farming methods from the Chinese lunisolar calendar. In 2023, Silver Heights achieved Demeter certification, the only Chinese winery to do so.

Vineyards
Jishan Vineyard - 40ha
South, Sandier soil, lower altitude
Xiayingzi Vineyard - 30ha
North, Stonier soil, higher altitude
Wines
Bloom Sparkling
80% Chardonnay, 12% Pinot Noir, 8% Ningxia Rice Wine. Vinified separately in tanks from natural ambient yeasts, with the Chardonnay undergoing extended maceration for 30 days. The varietal wines are blended with off-dry rice wine instead of dosage to invigorate secondary fermentation. Zero sulphur. 6.9 g/L RS.
Chardonnay Reserve
100% Chardonnay from the Jishan vineyard, with sandier soils. Hand-picked before going through gentle, slow pressing and temperature controlled fermentation with careful oxygen protection. Aged in 100% new Burgundy (500L) puncheons for 8 months before bottling.
The Last Warrior White
70% Chardonnay 30% Sauvignon Blanc. Hand-picked, gentle, slow, cold maceration and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel for 3 months. Naturally no MLF. Direct bottling.
Sand Lake Moon Amber
50% Malvasia Bianca, 50% field blend of Viognier, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented on skins in traditional clay vessels (táo guàn / 陶罐) for 30 days, with 6 month post-ferment marceration. Aged in neutral 225L oak barrels for 10 months. Unfined, unfiltered, zero sulphur.
Jiayuan Marselan
100% Marselan, a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenach, from Jishan vineyard, with sandier soils. Hand-picked, de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel for 30 days. Aged in 100% new French 225L oak for 12 months before bottling.
The Last Warrior Red
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Jishan vineyard. Hand picked, gentle, slow, cold maceration and temperature controlled fermentation. Aged in 70% neutral French oak and 30% stainless steel for 12 months.
Family Red
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot from the Jishan vineyard, with sandier soils. Hand picked, de-stemmed, with 30 day cold maceration and temperature controlled ferment in stainless steel. Aged in neutral French oak (225L) for 12 months before bottling.
The Summit
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Xiayingzi vineyard, with stonier soils and a higher altitude. Hand picked, de-stemmed, with 30 day cold maceration and temperature controlled ferment in stainless steel. Aged in 50% new French oak and 50% 1-year-old oak barrels (225L) for 18 months.