In the world of white tea, "wild tea" has gradually become a highly sought-after presence. The fresh and natural characteristics of white tea are its signature features. However, wild white tea goes a step further, incorporating rich and multi-layered "wildness," which is truly captivating. Today, I would like to unveil the mystery of a treasured 2009 premium wild Bai Mudan from the Tongxin She Teahouse.
This Bai Mudan hails from the renowned production area of Panxi in Fuding, which is not only a well-known but also a high-quality origin for white tea. Panxi is located at the western foot of Mount Taimu. It has a mild climate with no severe cold in winter and no intense heat in summer. It is abundant in sunlight and rainfall, with an average annual temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius. The ecological environment here is extremely favorable, boasting rich resources of tea leaves and bamboo. The tea trees coexist with bamboo groves, endowing the tea soup with a distinct bamboo fragrance. Many of the old tea trees in the mountainous area are already fifty or sixty years old. They grow freely without any human intervention, making Panxi the production area with the highest output and the best quality of wild white tea.
This 2009 wild Bai Mudan has many remarkable features. Firstly, its raw materials are selected from tea leaves produced in tea mountains that are far away from human habitation, rarely visited, and have been abandoned for many years. These tea trees are free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, growing symbiotically with the forest in an almost original ecological environment, which nurtures a unique wild charm. In terms of varietal characteristics, one of the distinctive marks of wild Bai Mudan is the thick "nodes" at the ends of the stems. Both the buds and the backs of the leaves are covered with fine and dense white hairs.
In terms of taste and aroma, it truly stands out. Due to its origin in the wilderness, the buds are particularly plump and thick, resulting in a rich floral aroma that is both high and intense, with a faint untamed wildness. The tea products from Tongxin She Teahouse are strictly controlled in every aspect, from raw materials and processing techniques to storage. This tea is picked according to the high standards of Bai Mudan King. The local tea farmers cherish these not-so-abundant tea trees and only pick them in spring. In terms of craftsmanship, the traditional ancient method of solar complex withering is adopted, preserving the original flavor of the tea leaves.
The dry tea has plump buds and is fully covered with white hairs. When smelled dry, it has a fresh dried fruit aroma, similar to the sweetness of plum preserves. When brewed with boiling water, the floral and hairy aroma rushes towards you. After 16 years of storage and transformation, the substances within the tea have become more mature and stable. With a sip, it is sweet and refreshing, already carrying the jujube aroma of aged white tea, and the tea soup is particularly smooth. After several infusions, when the aroma at the bottom of the cup cools down, there is a trace of floral fragrance. The faint fragrance is accompanied by a wild charm, and the aftertaste has the unique coolness of wild tea. After ten infusions, it can be boiled in a teapot. At this time, the tea aroma blends into the water, combining the floral and hairy aroma of Bai Mudan, the bamboo and wild charm from the mountainous area, and the mellowness brought by years of aging.
The 2009 wild Bai Mudan is a precious collection of Tongxin She Teahouse, a masterpiece jointly created by nature and time, waiting for tea enthusiasts who understand it to savor its unique charm.