The Value Code of Sunflower Moutai: Large Leaf, Small Leaf and the Three Major Revolutions—which Is the True Collector Favourite?

Key points of this article (organized): Kweichow Moutai, known as China’s “national wine”, has an unshakable representative status in the collection world.

1. The birth and historical positioning of Sunflower brand Moutai

Sunflower brand Moutai is the product of a short but critical transition period in the history of China's baijiu. Its emergence directly stems from a special historical background:

Background of the Times: Changes in Export Trademarks

In 1966, due to the Cultural Revolution in China, Feitian's original export trademark "Feitian brand" used the pattern of Feitian fairies in Dunhuang murals. It was considered to be suspected of the "four olds" (feudal traditional colors), so it was stopped from use.

In order to adapt to the political atmosphere at that time, Kweichow Moutai distillery changed its new trademark in 1967——Sunflower brand. This trademark means "Duo Sunflower toward the sun" (Chairman Mao is the red sun in people's hearts), and is full of special meanings of the times.

Sunflower brand Moutai was mainly produced between 1967 and 1975. Its existence was short-lived (only about 9 years), resulting in very few surviving ones. It is precisely because of this ephemerality and special cultural significance that Sunflower brand Moutai has a very high "status" in the old wine collection market.

Important reminder: Sunflower brand Moutai is specially designed for Export sales Designed logo. Although the domestic sales and exports of Moutai There is no difference in the body of the wine itself, but the different packaging versions directly cause huge differences in market prices. due to Sunflower Moutai There are fewer copies in existence than the domestically sold "Three Revolutions" versions of the same period, and their prices are usually higher.

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2. Three major versions and value analysis of Sunflower brand Moutai

Although the Sunflower brand Moutai has a short production time, it has experienced three important version changes during this period, each change symbolizing different rarity and market value.

1. The legend in the collection world: Daye Sunflower (The Mythical Rarity)

Duration: Very short-lived, produced in small quantities around 1967-1968, thought to have only existed for a few months to a year.

Main features:

• Sunflower pattern flower shape and leaf pattern on the trademark Larger and fuller, so it is called "Daye Sunflower".
• All Chinese characters on wine labels are used Traditional Chinese.
• Earlier versions were not successfully registered overseas.

Value password:

"Daye Sunflower" is extremely rare in existence, and was even considered a "legendary" wine that has not been officially launched.

Until 2012, a 250-gram bottle of large-leaf Sunflower Moutai produced in 1967 was sold at a domestic auction for RMB 575,000 (approximately RMB 100,000 based on the exchange rate of the day).660,000 Hong Kong dollars, but please note that this is a historical auction price and is for reference only), its existence was officially confirmed, and it set a new auction price for a single bottle of Moutai during the Cultural Revolution.

• Popular collection index: ★★★★★ (Extremely rare, unique in history, sought after by collectors "A glimpse").

2. Mainstream high-priced products on the market: Small-Leaf Sunflower (The Market Darling)

Duration: Circa 1968/1970 to 1975.

Main features:

• Since the "Daye Sunflower" trademark was not successfully registered overseas, Moutai switched to the "Small-Leaf Sunflower" trademark of Shandong Cereals and Oils Import and Export Company.
• Sunflower pattern on the trademark Significantly smaller, the lines are slimmer.
• The Chinese characters on wine labels have been changed from Traditional Chinese to Simplified Chinese.
• During this period, Moutai used a milky white glass bottle with a red screw cap, a red ribbon tied to the mouth of the bottle, and wrapped with white tissue paper.

Value password:

"Small-Leaf Sunflower" is the most common Sunflower brand Moutai on the market, but the so-called "common" is only a relative term. Its circulation is still much lower than that of the later Feitian and Five-star Moutai.

"Small-Leaf Sunflower" has set a considerable auction record. For example, according to foreign media reports, a box of 1974Sunflower brand Moutai(Belonging to the Sunflower period, extremely scarce due to the lowest production in 1974), at the 2021 Sotheby's auction in London, it was sold for 1 million pounds (approximately 9.7 million Hong Kong dollars) was sold at a high price, far exceeding experts’ expectations.

• Popular collection index: ★★★★☆ (For the most powerful ones in the auction market, prices are around HK$100,000 to HK$200,000 (NT$40,000-80,000), with top quality and rare vintages commanding higher prices).

3. Hybrid treasures across the ages: Three Revolutions Sunflower (The Hybrid Collector's Item)

Duration: Extremely short, only used in 1978.

Main features:

• In 1975, the export trademark of Moutai was restored to "Feitian brand", but the factory had already printed it 258,000 The unused "Sunflower brand" export trademark.
• In line with the principle of diligence and thrift, the Kweichow Moutai distillery used this batch of Sunflower trademarks in 1978Domestic wine on the packaging.
• As a result, "The original mark is Sunflower brand"But"The back label is the three revolutions"Special wine with content.
• The wine quality is the same as the domestically sold "Three Revolutions Moutai" of the same period.

Value password:

This wine is a rare "hybrid" in the history of Kweichow Moutai distillery. Although its wine quality is the same as that of ordinary three revolutions Moutai, due to its Special combination method, short production period and Exact production quantity (258,000 bottles), making it a rare species sought after by collectors.

• Popular collection index: ★★★★☆ (The historical value is high because the quantity is limited (about 258,000 bottles) and it has the unique "Three Revolutions" mark, and the price is more than 100,000 Hong Kong dollars).

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3. Who is the real “popular collection”? ——Chunxiang Wine Merchants’s professional opinion

Looking at comprehensive scarcity, historical value and market performance:

1. On the extreme of rarity: "Daye Sunflower" It is a well-deserved collection "Popular Style". It has been around for a very short time and is in very small quantity. Every time it appears, it sets a new auction record. It is an out-of-print variety that has "a surprising glimpse" in the history of Moutai. For collectors who pursue extreme scarcity, Daye Sunflower is undoubtedly the highest goal.
2. On market recognition and sky-high transaction prices: “Small-Leaf Sunflower” Rare vintages in the series (such as 1974) have been sold at high prices many times in the international auction market, proving that the Sunflower brand Moutai as a whole series has high international circulation and high value.
3. On historical particularity: "Three Revolutions Sunflower" Because of its special background of "export labels for domestic wine sales", it has become a unique milestone in identification and collection.

So if you're after With a mythical rarity that cannot be copied, "Daye Sunflower" is an obvious favorite for collection. If you pursue stable and high returns, the entire "Sunflower brand" series is the top investment hard currency among Moutai old wines.

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4. Advice from old wine buyers: Three key factors affecting the value of Sunflower Moutai

No matter which version of the Sunflower Moutai you have in your hands, to ensure its professional buyback, you must stay away from the following three major risks:

1. The fatal impact of "loss of alcohol": preservation determines everything

The value of old Moutai lies not only in its age, but also in its “fullness of body” and “completeness of its appearance”.

• Risks of losing alcohol (running away from alcohol): Kweichow Moutai's early packaging—especially its early glass bottles and closure technology—was not designed for long-term storage. As a result, many old bottles suffer from ullage caused by evaporation.
• Value fatal injury: Once the wine loss exceeds 5%, the flavor of the wine will change qualitatively, which is a fatal flaw for old wine and will seriously affect the value of subsequent collections and investments.
• Precautions: Be sure to collect Don't pour wine upside down, because placing it upside down will cause the alcohol to contact the inner seal of the bottle cap for a long time and accelerate the evaporation. At the same time, it is best to keep it in Small temperature difference environment, reducing the effects of thermal expansion and contraction.

2. The threshold of authenticity identification: the proliferation of imitations and fakes

The high price of Moutai has led to counterfeit products (commonly known as fake wine) flooding the market. High-end imitations may even use "fake wine in real bottles" or "secondary packaging" techniques.

• Key points of identification: To identify the old Moutai, you must start with details such as the wine label (font, printing accuracy), capsule (firmness, texture), bottle cap (laser coding), etc.
• Version details: Special editions such as Sunflower, Three Revolutions, and local state-owned wines have strict characteristics of the times in the wine label, capacity (540ml before 1987, and 500ml after) and back label text, which are important basis for professional identification.

3. The myth of vintage wine: Don’t confuse “aging style” with “actual age”

Vintage wines such as "Moutai 15 Years Old" and "Moutai 30 Years Old" circulating in the market are essentially different from the aged Moutai in your private collection.

• Official definition: Kweichow Kweichow Moutai distillery’s labeling of vintage wine does not refer to the base wine with the lowest age in the wine, but refers to one that “tastes like 15 years/30 years”style. This is different from the "minimum vintage" standard strictly adhered to by the international whisky, so it is controversial in the eyes of experts.
• Real old wine: The value of early old wines like Sunflower Moutai comes entirely from their Actual age history and Packaging in an era of scarcity.

For professional buyers, we know these details clearly. If you want to cash in your old wine, professional appraisal is the prerequisite for you to get an accurate valuation.

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How to quickly convert idle baijiu into cash?
Welcome tobuy back Moutai series, Get a professional buyback quote.

Contact [Chunxiang Wine Merchants] to professionally buy back your rare Sunflower Moutai

The value of old wine can withstand the test of history, but it cannot lose the consumption of time. Especially for products from a special era like Sunflower Moutai, every time you unpack it and every change in the ambient temperature difference, it may lead to the risk of "lost wine" and affect its sky-high value.

Chunxiang Wine Merchants Focus on professional buyback of all kinds of rare Moutai, especially the scarce Sunflower, the three major revolutions, local state-owned and Iron-Cap Moutai And other top collectibles. We provide the most professional appraisal services to ensure that you get the most fair and competitive price for your collection.

Whether you hold the dream-level "Daye Sunflower" or the auction record-breaking "Little Leaf Sunflower", we promise to provide you with a safe and transparent cash recovery process to help you mark the times.Smart cash.

You can send us photos of your Sunflower Moutai to get a professional estimate.

【Chunxiang Wine Merchants】

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Get a valuation for your Sunflower brand Moutai collection

When you are not sure about the version or save status, you can sort out the Moutai data related to "Sunflower Moutai's value password: Daye, Xiaoye, three major revolutions, which one". You can first send out photos of the main label, back label, bottle cap, fill level and outer box to facilitate preliminary judgment based on version and condition. Old baijiu should pay special attention to leakage, capsule and back label font.

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