Zhongfei: Three Thousand Tonnes of Stones
A businessman heard a South African proverb, came to Yanqi, and cleared 3,000 tonnes of Gobi rock by hand. That mountain of stones is now the estate's signature view.
Three Thousand Tonnes of Stones
Section titled “Three Thousand Tonnes of Stones”Ji Changfeng worked many years in business. A South African proverb changed his direction. The exact line is not in the public record, but the result is clear: in 2009, he came to Yanqi and decided to grow grapes.
At the foot of Mt Hola in Qigexing town, Yanqi. North of the Kaidu River, south of Bosten Lake. 86°E, 42°N. Geographic coordinates straight out of a textbook. The ground itself was another matter: Gobi, stones underfoot everywhere.
Ji and his wife took turns leading teams into the field alongside the workers. Three thousand tonnes of rock were lifted out of the soil. By hand. Not by excavator. Piece by piece. The stones were piled into a small hill that became the estate’s signature feature. Internally they call it White Stone Hill.
Three thousand tonnes. Roughly equivalent to 150 fully loaded trucks. This was Ji Changfeng’s first act for his vineyard, done the hardest way available.
Not a Sino-French Joint Venture
Section titled “Not a Sino-French Joint Venture”Before going further, a common misconception to clear.
Chateau Zhong Fei is not a Sino-French joint venture. It is a privately held Chinese estate, founded by Ji Changfeng, registered in Yanqi. English name: Chateau Zhong Fei. Some sources online confuse Zhong Fei with Domaine des Arômes, but that estate is in Ningxia (founded by Sun Miao and Peng Shuai; see Domaine des Arômes) and has no relation to Zhong Fei.
Zhong Fei’s connection to France runs through equipment and technique: pre-processing from Pera (France), barrel-fermenters from Radoux (France), bottling line from Bertolaso (Italy), custom barrels from French coopers. Add Li Demei as chief consultant (also Tiansai’s consultant), and Zhong Fei is technically deeply linked to the French winemaking system.
But essentially: a Chinese entrepreneur starting from zero in the Gobi.
Scale and Position
Section titled “Scale and Position”| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Location | At the foot of Mt Hola, Qigexing town, Yanqi |
| Vineyard area | ~667 ha (10,000 mu) |
| Total floor area | ~50,000 m² |
| Underground cellar | 8,000 m², climate-controlled |
| Chief winemaker | Zhang Yan, National Class-I Tasting Master, 29 years’ experience |
| Chief consultant | Professor Li Demei |
10,000 mu. A large number in Yanqi: Tiansai is around 2,800 mu; Xiangdu is 40,000 mu but includes large plantation bases. Zhong Fei sits between boutique and mid-scale, pursuing both quality and a meaningful volume base.
Marselan and the Variety Line
Section titled “Marselan and the Variety Line”Zhong Fei grows Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Marselan, and Chardonnay.
Marselan is Zhong Fei’s most distinctive variety. Not surprising. Li Demei is the core driver of Marselan in China, and as Zhong Fei’s chief consultant his influence on variety selection is visible.
The portfolio covers high to accessible:
| Series | Tier | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Marselan / Barrel-Aged Marselan | High-end | Core competitive line |
| Premium Series | Mid-high | |
| Gold Ring Syrah | Mid-high | |
| Ganbei White / Pink Encounter | Daily | Entry tier |
| Clark Series | Accessible | Co-developed with Jiuxian e-commerce |
The strategic partnership with Jiuxian.com (a Chinese e-commerce platform) shows Zhong Fei’s channel approach: a boutique + e-commerce hybrid. Uncommon among Yanqi estates. Tiansai leans on brand experience, Xiangdu on traditional channels. Zhong Fei chose a more pragmatic sales path.
Louvre and Gobi
Section titled “Louvre and Gobi”In 2015, Zhong Fei became one of the first Chinese estates to be shown inside the Louvre.
The fact itself is more interesting than it sounds. Not because the Louvre wine expo carries the weight of a Louvre art exhibition (it doesn’t), but because of the direction it signals: an estate started from 3,000 tonnes of Gobi stone, sending wine to Paris six years after its founding.
Ji’s strategy is clear: use the international stage to feed the domestic brand. Zhong Fei’s White Stone Hill story has natural traction internationally. Gobi reclamation by hand, the sweat narrative of three thousand tonnes. Endurance, grit, from-nothing. A creation story the world understands.
A Judgment
Section titled “A Judgment”Zhong Fei does not have Tiansai’s international reputation (no DWWA 95-level result), nor Puchang’s varietal distinctiveness. Its position in Yanqi is second tier: steady, professional, with real scale, but still missing a single landmark moment that the international market will remember.
If Tiansai is Yanqi’s face, Zhong Fei is Yanqi’s workhorse with backbone. 10,000 mu of vines, 8,000 m² of cellar, Li Demei in the loop: these are first-class hard assets for a Chinese boutique. What is missing is one bottle people cannot forget, or one international award that gets reposted.
The 3,000-tonne stone story is worth telling. But ultimately, an estate is judged by the wine.