Semi Wild Shou Mei 2019

This Semi-Wild White Peony comes to us from one of our well-respected tea foragers, Mr. Fan, also aptly known as "Hunter."

It is made from trees planted by tea farmers in the 1970's that were abandoned as people left the villages for coastal cities. They grow amidst thousands of acres of old growth forest. Here, tea trees compete with a variety of other plants for sunlight, causing their roots to extend deep into the earth to draw nutrients. They grow slowly in the wild, accumulating these nutrients and compounds in their leaves.

Mr. Fan crafts his white teas traditionally: the leaves are naturally withered and dried by sunlight, a slow and delicate process that takes between 48 and 60 hours. However simple it may sound, this method requires painstaking care and attention, along with a great deal of experience to do well.

The leaves are picked early in the morning and carefully carried down the mountain in bamboo baskets to ensure that they are not damaged as they are handled. The fresh leaves are then swiftly spread out on bamboo mats, initiating the process of withering. First they are withered in the sun and their moisture level is monitored closely. When the moisture level is around 50% the leaves are moved indoors. Finally, when the moisture level reaches 10-20%, the leaves are gently roasted over charcoal at a very low temperature.

The picking standard for this Semi Wild Shoumei, of one-bud-three-leaves, makes its qualities particularly delicate. It is a very gentle and balancing tea, opening quickly in the gaiwan to reveal a forest floor of references. Its deeper, woody notes give it an autumnal feeling, while its sweetness conjures the concentrated sugars released into the ground by fallen leaves.