“It’s very, very pretty. High toned and flowery is the dominant characteristic of this tea.”
- Will Costello, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, Master Sommelier
“There is a certain terroir that you can taste that is given from the barrels.”
- Executive Chef Shaun Hergatt, 2-Star Michelin
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
TEALEAVES x RUDD Cabernet French Oak Tea.
Color, aroma, and taste express palate in tea, as in wine.
Light jade celadon, typical of unfermented camelia sinensis.
Muscatel overtones, jasmine-forward flourish. Subtle hints of vanilla.
Complex character, balanced. Slightly astringent (tannic).
Hints of muscat, memory of the wine
Overtones of vanillin
Delicate notes of white tea
Intoxicating heady notes of golden jasmine
Subtle and spicy oak, satin texture
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Barrel Aged Tealeaves
200 days aged
20+ years of expertise
limited allocation, only 100 lots available.
$100 USD | $130 CAD/50g
Please email bespoke@tealeaves.com for any enquiries.
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
VERITAS CABERNET
Serve neat, without ice, at 50°F. Infuse for three hours in advance.
Experts give their tasting notes on the TEALEAVES x RUDD Cabernet french Oak Tea.
“It’s very, very pretty. High toned and flowery is the dominant characteristic of this tea.”
“It’s extremely balanced and has a refined flavor profile. There is a certain terroir you can taste that is given from the barrels.”
“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.”
“Here you get the floral notes, you get some of the vanilla notes, the smoky notes, and at the same time it is a very elegant tea.”
“This leaves an essence of the wine on your palate, it leaves a taste that I’ve just come out of the wine room.”
“The blend, it’s very soothing. For a white tea, I think it’s a great flavorful tea.”
“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.”
“I say a little bit of oak, jasmine, again the orange blossom or the honeysuckle blossom really resonates.”
“It’s very, very pretty. High toned and flowery is the dominant characteristic of this tea.”
“It’s extremely balanced and has a refined flavor profile. There is a certain terroir you can taste that is given from the barrels.”
“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.”
“Here you get the floral notes, you get some of the vanilla notes, the smoky notes, and at the same time it is a very elegant tea.”
“This leaves an essence of the wine on your palate, it leaves a taste that I’ve just come out of the wine room.”
“The blend, it’s very soothing. For a white tea, I think it’s a great flavorful tea.”
“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.”
“I say a little bit of oak, jasmine, again the orange blossom or the honeysuckle blossom really resonates.”
