We offer 10 tasting samples for the first tasters.
Yiwu, the prestigious Puerh production area, consists of 15 tea villages known as 7 Cun 8 Zhai (7 villages and 8 hamlets). Luo Shui Dong Cun is one of the 7 Cun and, along with Gua Feng Zhai, it represents the highest quality of Yiwu Gushu tea. Luo Shui Dong is administratively part of Ma Hei village, but in terms of production zone, it has become independent due to the fame it gained for its excellent teas. After winning the grand prize at the Yiwu tea competition in 2013 and 2015, Luo Shui Dong won the award again in 2018, this time with an astounding price of up to 200,000 yuan (approx. 2.5 thousand euros) per kilo, positioning it among the top micro-production areas at village level.
Luo Shui Dong is located about 8 km from the town of Yiwu, at an altitude of approximately 1,460 meters. Its topography forms a small basin surrounded by mountains, naturally creating an ideal ecological environment for tea tree to growth: shrouded in mist, with fertile soil and an average annual temperature of around 18 degrees. Although the Gushu trees in Luo Shui Dong are of the typical Yiwu Lüya Cha (Green Bud Tea) varietal from the region, the village’s microclimate endows its tea with unique characteristics, setting it apart from the tea of Ma Hei, despite the two villages sharing the same tree varietal and being located right next to each other.
Teas from the Yiwu area typically present a honey-like aromatic profile, especially when fresh. However, the tea from Luo Shui Dong is an exception, as it is more floral, often reminiscent of Osmanthus and sometimes of orchids. Another peculiarity of Yiwu tea is that it ages more quickly in the early stages compared to teas from other production areas. This specific 2013 Luo Shui Dong, after more than a decade of aging, has transformed its aromatic profile into pleasant and aged woody notes, with the Osmanthus notes from its youth still faintly perceptible. As for flavors, the characteristics of Luo Shui Dong are always highlighted: it is sweet, rounded and complex, with a minimal and pleasant bitterness, devoid of any astringency, and with an extra-fine and smooth texture in the liquor. If your palate is adaptable to intense flavors, you can try parameters exceeding our recommendations, whether with a higher tea-to-water ratio or a longer infusion time; this way, you will experience a delightful oily texture in the tasty liquor.
2013 Luo Shui Dong Gushu Sheng/Raw Puerh 落水洞
Harvest: early Spring, 2013, Gushu.
Origin: Luo Shui Dong >> Yiwu >> Mengla >> Xishuangbanna >> Yunnan
Launch Date: September 26, 2024
7-8g/100ml/100ºC
Quick rinse; 15-20s in the 1st infusion; 10-15s since the 2nd infusion; increase the steeping time by several seconds in each infusion starting from the 6th or 7th.