Saint Petersburg — 2026-09-30
Teamotea today announced the results of its third‑quarter procurement cycle, covering the summer pluck in Fujian province and the outlook for the autumn harvest of Fènghuáng Dān Cōng (凤凰单丛) oolong from Guangdong. The company examined 1 247 candidate lots from 17 estates across northern Fujian, with 915 lots meeting internal quality and safety thresholds — a pass rate of 73.4 %, the highest summer figure since the programme’s inception in 2023.
The summer procurement concentrated on yán chá (岩茶) from the Wuyi Mountains, supplemented by lighter floral-style oolongs from Anxi and Taimu. Evaluations were conducted in Kunming and Shanghai using a dual‑blind protocol that references GB/T 18745-2006, the national standard for Wuyi rock-essence tea, augmented by Teamotea’s own cupping rubric. Of the accepted lots, 42 % originated from the Wuyishan protected area, 28 % from Anxi county, 18 % from Taimu Mountain, and the remainder from five other micro‑regions. The average quality score on the Teamotea 100‑point scale rose to 84.3, compared with 81.7 in Q3 2025, driven by a drier-than-usual June that concentrated volatile aromatics.
Evgeniy Smoley, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, said: “The summer pluck in Fujian exceeded expectations across the board. The higher pass rate and improved sensory scores reflect both the deepening of our long-term relationships with grower cooperatives and the effectiveness of the cupping‑panel training we’ve been running through the tea.school platform since early 2025. For the autumn season, early‑lot submissions from Phoenix Mountain suggest a similarly strong trajectory.”
Looking ahead to the autumn Phoenix dān cōng harvest, Teamotea forecasts a 12 % increase in procurable volume relative to 2025, based on bud-set surveys conducted in mid‑September in the villages of Wudong and Pingkeng. The first commercial lots are expected to begin arriving from mid‑October, with primary focus on Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香), Yā Shí Xiāng (鸭屎香), and Dà Wū Yè (大乌叶) cultivars. Advance sensory screening of 140 pre‑submission samples suggests an average quality uplift of 3–5 points, attributable to reduced rainfall during the September pre‑flush and disciplined picking schedules adopted by the Farmer Alliance partners.
All procured teas will undergo final sorting, packaging, and ageing‑environment checks at Teamotea’s Kunming and Saint Petersburg facilities before release. Selected summer lots will begin appearing on shop.thetea.app in November 2026, while autumn Phoenix oolong is targeted for a phased debut on thetea.app and puerh.app beginning in December. Additionally, a curated selection of aged shēng pǔ’ěr (生普洱) from Menghai will be introduced through puerh.app to complement the fresh-harvest releases, providing enthusiasts with a vertical perspective on terroir and time.
Teamotea’s procurement data and cupping notes are being incorporated into the Q3 transparency report, which will be published on tea.community by 31 October 2026. The report will include full traceability back to individual farmer cooperatives, carbon-footprint estimates per lot, and pesticide‑residue screening results. The company also confirmed that it will host an autumn‑season evaluation workshop via tea.school in early November, open to certified tea academy members, to train participants on the 2026 Phoenix dancong grading standards.
Media contact
Dmitry Sologubov