Regarding the winter tea conditions in Songgang, Meifeng, and the front of Cuifeng near Cingjing Farm, in one word: fantastic. The quality of the tea leaves is close to that of the spring crop, and the yield is above average. We might even see some standout batches that rival Lishan and Cuifeng.
Without further ado, take a look at the photos. The tea leaves are thick and robust, with a waxy sheen on the surface—a high-caliber showing that would easily hold its own even among spring teas. The photos feature a top-tier tea garden handpicked by the manager. Special mention goes to other ordinary tea gardens as well, which are also performing quite well. Overall, the manager gives the Songgang, Meifeng, and Cuifeng winter teas a high score of 80!
Having sampled a few batches harvested a couple of days ago, while they didn’t quite meet our purchasing standards yet, they show a promising “steady improvement.” I have a gut feeling that with just a few more days of clear skies, some phenomenal, monster-grade teas are going to appear! Anything harvested before the 12th definitely won’t be purchased. Starting the 13th, the northeast monsoon arrives, and combined with continuous sunny days, the harvesting and tea-making conditions in Cingjing’s Songgang, Meifeng, and Cuifeng will be prime. We plan to head back out on the 17th and 18th to scout for the good stuff.
The tea gardens in the photos are all top-quality local plantations managed with soybean meal as the primary fertilizer and imported Japanese compound fertilizers. This winter crop is performing exceptionally well. The store manager has found out that the harvest is scheduled between the 14th and 18th. Fingers crossed for good weather over the next few days—wish the manager some luck!
Note: Road conditions along Songgang near Cingjing Farm are quite decent. The front approaches to Meifeng and Cuifeng have never been an easy drive, and after the heavy rains in August, they got even worse. Thankfully, the recent good weather has dried up the muddy roads, so the tea harvesting should go smoothly.