Ao Yun

This wine was born from a dream that began in 2008 : to create a unique, world-class fine wine in China. Commissioned by Moët Hennessy, Dr. Tony Jordan embarked on a journey into the unknown and after 4 years of scouring the vast terrain of China he eventually made it to North Yunnan, where he observed an ideal microclimate for a fine cabernet. With each vintage, the Ao Yun team, led by LVMH & Technical Director Maxence Dulou, perpetuates this vision.

Ao Yun’s vineyards are on the banks of the Mekong River, in the UNESCO-protected area of the Three Parallel Rivers and below the sacred Meili snow mountain (6800m). Each of the 4 villages is spread over complementary altitudes from 2100m to 2600m and has different soils, sun exposure and microclimates. These unique terroirs with incredible diversity and scarcity will take decades to fully understand. Ao Yun means “flying above the clouds”, a reference to the clouds that cap the summits of the surrounding mountain chains.  

Wine Advocate : 96/100 : “The 2020 Ao Yun is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 6% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot, with the fruit being sourced from Ao Yun’s four villages in order of rising altitude and percentage terms as follows: 10% from Xidang, 18% from Sinong, 38% from Shuori and 34% from Adong. The wine has a very deep purple appearance and sports a beautifully complex nose of lifted, perfumed dark fruit—cassis, bramble, black cherry, black plum, blueberry, mulberry—with herbaceous notes of mint, green bell pepper and sage, these primary elements marrying beautifully with some subtle, new oak notes of clove, toast, smoke and vanilla. Like the Village Cru red wines, this was matured for 12 months in 30% new, small-format French oak with 30% in older wood and the remainder in Yunnanese stoneware jars. On the palate, this is very full-bodied with super-ripe coating and fine-grained tannins with vibrant acidity—this comes naturally at 3.35 pH—and well-integrated 13.5% alcohol, providing the platform for the concentrated dark fruit and sweet and savory pyrazine and new oak notes. While this wine does not have the immediate "generosity" or sumptuousness of the 2019 vintage, it is undeniably elegant, polished and powerful in its own vintage expression. With its very long length, the 2020 Ao Yun has a complex, layered finish that is abundantly youthful. While it is approachable now, it will show better going forward and will comfortably age for at least 15 years”.