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#BARRELAGEDTEALEAVES

Experience a Tasting of Wine Barrel Aged Tea

TEALEAVES X RUDD

The Pursuit of
Perfection in Wine Tea

In 2014, TEALEAVES, expert in tea, collaborated with Rudd Oakville Estate, expert in wine. Our mission was simple: to collaborate and create an ultimate wine tea superior in palate.

"We asked ourselves, 'What kind of tea would we create if we had unlimited time and resources?' From this came the idea of a limited edition line of Barrel Aged Tealeaves to be appreciated by Master Sommeliers, wine aficionados, and tea lovers, alike."

— TEALEAVES MASTER BLENDERS
#BARRELAGEDTEALEAVES

Experience a Tasting of Wine Barrel Aged Tea

TEALEAVES X RUDD

The Pursuit of
Perfection in Wine Tea

In 2014, TEALEAVES, expert in tea, collaborated with Rudd Oakville Estate, expert in wine. Our mission was simple: to collaborate and create an ultimate wine tea superior in palate.

"We asked ourselves, 'What kind of tea would we create if we had unlimited time and resources?' From this came the idea of a limited edition line of Barrel Aged Tealeaves to be appreciated by Master Sommeliers, wine aficionados, and tea lovers, alike."

— TEALEAVES MASTER BLENDERS

Tasting Notes

TEALEAVES x RUDD CABERNET FRENCH OAK TEA. COLOR, AROMA, AND TASTE EXPRESS PALATE IN TEA, AS IN WINE.

Color

THE LIQUOR:

Light jade celadon, typical of unfermented camelia sinensis.

Aroma

THE NOSE:

Muscatel overtones, jasmine-forward flourish. Subtle hints of vanilla.

Taste

THE FINISH:

Complex character, balanced. Slightly astringent (tannic).

Color

THE LIQUOR:

Light jade celadon, typical of unfermented camelia sinensis.

Aroma

THE NOSE:

Muscatel overtones, jasmine-forward flourish. Subtle hints of vanilla.

Taste

THE FINISH:

Complex character, balanced. Slightly astringent (tannic).

CRAFTSMANSHIP

Blending the East and West, Old and New

Tradition meets innovation. The TEALEAVES x RUDD Cabernet French Oak Tea was the result of applying the very best techniques and ingredients from the Old World, New World, and Ancient World, drawing parallels between wine and tea.

Aged in a used French oak barrel gifted to TEALEAVES by the RUDD Oakville Estate, the “memory” of the wine has been translated to the tea, resulting in a wine tea of great complexity and superior palate.

TEALEAVES blenders experimented with various techniques to artfully marry the aromatics of wine, French oak and jasmine imperial-scented white tea. Variables of humidity, temperature and aging time were carefully databased to determine the optimal matrix. The result? A respectful balance between the great culture that is tea, grape and French oak.

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Parallels in Wine & Tea

TERRIOR

Oakville, Napa Valley, USA
/ Fujian, China

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Terrior

Oakville, Napa Valley, USA

The red volcanic iron-rich soils, unique in the world, produce masculine Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that form the backbone of the 2010 Rudd Oakville Estate Red, balancing harmoniously with the more delicate jasmine.


Terrior

Fujian, China

The aroma and taste of jasmine is heady and intoxicating due to the internationally renowned terroir and centuries of expertise from the Fuzhou region of Fujian.

KEY INGREDIENT

Hand-Picked Grapes /
Hand-Picked White Tea

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KEY INGREDIENT

Hand-Picked Grapes

Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked by hand offering complex nuances of dark fruit to the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend. RUDD Estate Winegrower Frederick Ammons tastes the grapes in the vineyards each morning to identify the best time for harvest.


KEY INGREDIENT

Hand-Picked White Tea

Resulting in an intriguing soft slightly vegetal cup, the tea leaves are hand-picked from only the top-most leaves and buds of the camellia sinensis (tea) plant and hand-dried using a heated tray over fire. It takes hundreds of hours to make the small batch that fills the wine barrel used to make the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend.

TECHNIQUE

Barrel Aging Wine /
Imperial Scenting Tea

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Technique

Barrel Aging Wine

Subtle notes of oak and vanilla are the result of a careful aging in toasted oak barrels. Rudd Oakville Estate uses handcrafted, French oak barrels sourced from 400-year-old forests in France. Barrel aging in French oak results in a more nuanced finished wine and pays homage to traditional winemaking practices in France’s esteemed Bordeaux and Burgundy.


Technique

Imperial Scenting Tea

Taste a perfect harmony of Jasmine and toast from the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend. Labor intensive, the leaves were scented and re-scented 7 times in Fuzhou, China with the leaves placed between bamboo sheets of jasmine to absorb the aromas. The technique pays homage to the traditional Chinese method of imperial-scenting.

  • The aroma and taste of jasmine is heady and intoxicating due to the internationally renowned terroir and centuries of expertise from the Fuzhou region of Fujian.

    Terroir


    Fujian, China

  • Resulting in an intriguing soft slightly vegetal cup, the tea leaves are hand-picked from only the top-most leaves and buds of the camellia sinensis (tea) plant and hand-dried using a heated tray over fire. It takes hundreds of hours to make the small batch that fills the wine barrel used to make the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend.

    Key Ingredient


    Hand-Picked White Tea

  • Taste a perfect harmony of Jasmine and toast from the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend. Labor intensive, the leaves were scented and re-scented 7 times in Fuzhou, China with the leaves placed between bamboo sheets of jasmine to absorb the aromas. The technique pays homage to the traditional Chinese method of imperial-scenting.

    Technique


    Imperial Scenting Tea

  • Terroir


    Oakville, Napa Valley, USA

    The red volcanic iron-rich soils, unique in the world, produce masculine Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that form the backbone of the 2010 Rudd Oakville Estate Red, balancing harmoniously with the more delicate jasmine.

  • Key Ingredient


    Hand-Picked Grapes

    Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked by hand offering complex nuances of dark fruit to the TEALEAVES x RUDD Blend. RUDD Estate Winegrower Frederick Ammons tastes the grapes in the vineyards each morning to identify the best time for harvest.

  • Technique


    Barrel Aging Wine

    Subtle notes of oak and vanilla are the result of a careful aging in toasted oak barrels. Rudd Oakville Estate uses handcrafted, French oak barrels sourced from 400-year-old forests in France. Barrel aging in French oak results in a more nuanced finished wine and pays homage to traditional winemaking practices in France’s esteemed Bordeaux and Burgundy.

TECHNIQUE
Wine Barrel Aging Tea

Just as the French oak barrel imparts richness and nuance to the wine inside it, the same wine imparts its character on the barrel itself. The barrel used to produce the 2010 Rudd Oakville Estate Red offers complex mineral, fruit, wood and vanilla notes, which plays in perfect harmony with the imperial scented jasmine white tea.

The tea was aged 200+ days in the French oak barrel at TEALEAVES’ Vancouver Blending Center, ensuring that the oak and wine aromas were absorbed into the white tea at the right levels. TEALEAVES Master Blenders conducted weekly tastings, modifying the absorption through ambient temperature and relative humidity – to blend this tea with optimal balance and nuance.

Cabernet French Oak Tea

200 days aged.
20+ years expertise.

LIMITED ALLOCATION, ONLY 100 LOTS AVAILABLE.

DISCOVER
VERITAS CABERNET

Serve neat, without ice, at 50°F. Infuse for three hours in advance.

VERITAS CABERNET

Serve neat, without ice, at 50°F. Infuse for three hours in advance.

CRAFTSMANSHIP

Tasting with Riedel Glass

Family owned and operated by Georg J. Riedel (10th generation) and Maximilian J. Riedel (11th generation), RIEDEL is recognized worldwide for the highest quality glasses and decanters for the enjoyment of wine and spirits.

When chilled, which Riedel glass is optimal for enjoying the TEALEAVES x RUDD blend?

After several hours of tasting, from Old and New World Pinot Noir glasses to several handmade prototype Riesling and Viognier Chardonnay glasses, a judgement was made.

Mr. Riedel recommended the Veritas Cabernet and its handmade version, Fatto a Manno:

“A harmonious balance, with hints of saddle and emerging notes of jasmine. Some minerality, wide body and interesting surprise to the palate. Nose is accentuated with the glass.”

— GEORG J. RIEDEL

#Tasteteamonials

Experts give their tasting notes on the TEALEAVES x RUDD Cabernet French Oak Tea.

MASTER SOMMELIER
WILL COSTELLO

“It’s very, very pretty. High toned and flowery is the dominant characteristic of this tea.”

2-STAR MICHELIN EXECUTIVE CHEF SHAUN HERGATT

“It’s extremely balanced and has a refined flavor profile. There is a certain terroir you can taste that is given from the barrels.”

WINEGROWER
FREDERICK AMMONS

“The fruit signature of cabernet, infused in the barrel adds a lifting, vibrant dimension to the warm, earthy character of the tea. It is a marriage of toast, floral, earth and structure.”

MANAGING DIRECTOR
OSCAR HENQUET

“Here you get the floral notes, you get some of the vanilla notes, the smoky notes, and at the ”

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER
LUKASZ BOLBOT

“If you age it longer, it’s going to overpower the subtleties of the white tea so it’s a very fine game you know when it comes to aging.”

EXECUTIVE CHEF AND GENERAL MANAGER TREVOR KUNK AND SPENCER WEISS

“I say a little bit of oak, jasmine, again the orange blossom or the honeysuckle blossom really resonates.”

The Ultimate Expression

Situated in the Napa Valley, Rudd Oakville Estate is driven by a singular mission-to produce the finest wine possible that fully expresses the estate’s singular terroir. A true multi-generational, family-owned estate, Rudd sits on some of Napa Valley’s most celebrated land. Screaming Eagle, Bond Estates, and Dalla Valle Vineyards are just a few of its notable neighbors.

From the dedicated team that farms the vineyards to the patient aging and thoughtful blending that occurs in the estate’s caves, Rudd brings meticulous craftsmanship to every step of the winemaking process. Through over two decades of close study, the team at Rudd has become intimately familiar with the iconic red volcanic soils that produce its celebrated, distinctive wines.

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