1997 真醇雅 Truly Simply Elegant

Key information

Place of Origin: Yiwu Mountain (200 + years old arbor trees)

Weight per sample : 10g

Overall experience：aged gushu puerh characteristics (plum fragrance, aged fragrance (chenxiang, incense, camphoric), complex rhyme, thick textured soup with a lasting aftertaste, warming energy right away)

Vintage：1997 Spring

The 1997 Truly Simply Elegant (真醇雅) stands as a direct and inseparable continuation of the legendary 1996 release, emerging from the same deliberate effort of early Taiwanese puerh researchers to revive the lost haoji-grade tradition of tea making from the pre-1950s. According to production records by Zhang Yi, the Yiwu township chief at the time, the 1996 and 1997 batches were effectively made with identical intent, craftsmanship, and raw-material standards of Zhang Guanshou, the last surviving master craftsman of the Song Ping Hao tea boutique from the early 20th century. The total output from 1995–1997 amounted to only about nine tons, rendering authentic 1997 examples exceptionally rare amid widespread later imitations.

Sourced exclusively from ancient arbor (gushu) trees in Sanheshe, Manluo line (Manxiu to Luoshuidong), and explicitly excluding Mahei material, the 1997 tea adhered strictly to the one-bud-three-leaf standard from pesticide- and fertilizer-free trees. Crafted using traditional sun-drying and heavy hand-rolling to enhance extractive depth and aging potential, and pressed with stone weights, it was packaged in true haoji-grade fashion: bamboo-shell tongs with no individual paper wrappers, identified only by the inner ticket (neifei).

Today, while the 1996 vintage commands historic fame, the 1997 Truly Simply Elegant is cherished as its equal in lineage and spirit—a quiet yet potent witness to the 1995–1997 “golden age” that reestablished Yiwu as the spiritual and material heart of boutique puerh. This is tea that gave rise to the successive increase in demand and appreciation for old tree/arbor puerh tea. 

Originally, these teas were not made available for sampling, as they carry immense collector value, and the tongs retain their value best when left unopened. However, we have requested Mr. Chen to share this tea from his personal collection so that interested tea lovers have the chance to experience this legendary “new-songpin” production. Only 20 sample packs will be available.

Mr. Chen has kindly offered these at a discount so that more people have the opportunity to try them. The market price for 10g would be roughly USD $250. This is our way of giving back to our clients and the tea community for their continuous support over the years. Take this opportunity to experience this super-famous Yiwu benchmark tea that is almost inaccessible anywhere else.