2004勐庫百年古茶樹「雨前春」
2004 Měngkù Bǎinián Gǔ Chá Shù "Yǔ Qián Chūn"
2004 Mengku Rongshi "Pre-Rain Spring" Century-Old Ancient Tree
Net Weight: 400g per cake
Vintage: 2004
Tea Type: Raw Puerh (Sheng)
Region: Daxueshan Nature Reserve (大雪山自然保護區)
Material: Wild tea spring tips, one bud with two leaves (野生茶春尖一芽兩葉)
Producer: Mengku Rongshi (勐庫戎氏)
Storage: Pure Dry Storage (純乾倉)
Condition: Excellent
"Yuqian Chun" (Pre-Rain Spring) was Mengku Rongshi's most expensive and premium tea of that year, harvested from roughly the same tea area as the subsequent 2005 and 2006 Mother Tree (母樹) releases. "Yuqian" signifies "before Guyu" (Grain Rain)—spring tea harvested before the Guyu solar term (April 20th) is classified as Pre-Rain Spring tea.
The cake is round, thick, and substantial, with stout buds and thick leaves displaying a rich fruity aroma—a benchmark specimen of premium-grade big-tree spring tips.
The tea soup pours oily and glowing orange-yellow, carrying dense fruity honey and mineral notes. The flavor is mellow, thick, and mouth-filling, powerful and robust. It possesses high steep endurance, growing sweeter and more fragrant with every infusion. Drinking it leaves lingering sweetness on the lips and teeth, warms the body, and brings a comforting full-body resonance—a rare and exceptional tea.
In 2007, this tea area was officially designated as a protected national nature reserve, causing local fresh leaf prices to surge. The widely acclaimed 2005 and 2006 Mengku Mother Tree teas represent the final batches of wild tea sourced from this protected area.
