Ao Yun Himalaya: top Chinese wine of great class!

The Chinese winery Ao Yun in Yunnan province is regarded as one of China's top wines and demonstrates that great wines are being produced in this relatively new wine country. The Ao Yun vineyards are situated at the foot of the sacred Mount Meili at a dizzying altitude of 2,100–2,600 meters. Ao Yun means ‘flying above the clouds,’ referring to the clouds surrounding the mountains where the vineyards are located. The location for the vineyards was found after a long and extensive four-year search in China. It proved to be an ideal terroir for the production of red wine, particularly for refined Cabernet Sauvignon. Ao Yun is made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. The winery is owned by LVMH.

This Ao Yun Himalaya was born from a dream that began in 2008: to create a unique, world-class wine in China. Commissioned by Moët Hennessy, Dr. Tony Jordan embarked on a journey into the unknown, and after scouring the vast terrain of China for four years, he finally reached Northern Yunnan, where he observed an ideal microclimate for a fine Cabernet. With every vintage, the Ao Yun team, led by LVMH and Technical Director Maxence Dulou, continues this vision.

The vineyards

The vineyards of Ao Yun are situated on the banks of the Mekong River, in the UNESCO-protected area of ​​the Three Parallel Rivers and beneath the sacred Meili Snow Mountain (6,800m). Each of the four villages is spread across complementary altitudes ranging from 2,100m to 2,600m and features distinct soils, sun exposures, and microclimates. It will take decades to fully understand these unique terroirs of incredible diversity and scarcity. Ao Yun means “flying above the clouds,” a reference to the clouds covering the peaks of the surrounding mountain ranges.

Wine reviewers on the Ao Yun Himalaya 2019

Wine Advocate : 96/100 :

“This is the best vintage of Ao Yun to date and also the highest-scoring Chinese wine I have ever reviewed. It, therefore, requires a more detailed account to understand why. The 2019 Ao Yun is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot (this latter emanating from the village of Sinong). Notably, Merlot did not make the grade in 2019, which was less to do with vintage but, according to winemaker Maxence Dulou, more a function of Merlot vines at an adolescent stage of development (at five to six years of age, Dulou feels Merlot doesn’t produce the most interesting fruit compared with younger or older vines). The relatively cooler and wetter winter prior to 2019 gave the vines decent reserves, but the drier and warmer than expected spring meant some irrigation was required around budburst and flowering.

Overall, across Ao Yun’s different villages sites—Xidang, Sinong, Shuori and Adong—2019 witnessed a warm, healthy growing season and not too warm autumn with yields at their lowest to date (around 16 hectoliters per hectare rather than the average of 20-22 hectoliters per hectare). The long harvest commenced in Xidang on September 9th and finished in Adong on November 21st. Of the varieties above, the proportion of fruit was drawn from the villages in order of elevation as follows: 23% from Xidang, 21% from Sinong, 32% from Shuori and 24% from Adong. In the harvest as a whole, only 53% went into Ao Yun’s top wine, with tiny percentages being used for the Villlage Cru reds (6% each) and 2% for the 2019 Chardonnay. Thus 33% of the harvest was not used for Ao Yun at all”.

James Suckling : 98/100 :

“Very scented, complex and layered with a classy nose full of ripe currants, smoke and sweet tobacco leaves. Graphite, charcoal, exotic herbs and cigar box. A hint of black truffle and tapenade, too. Full body with fine, silky tannins that highlight the juicy aspect of this wine. Dusty tannins gradually build up on the palate in a crescendo, following through to a juicy, precise and lengthy finish. Super-polished and refined. There is still cabernet verticality on the palate. The finest Ao Yun so far ? It has a finish that lasts almost two minutes. 67% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc, 10% syrah and 6% petit verdot. This is a blend of 23% of Xidang village, 21% Sinong, 32% Shuori and 24% Adong. Already drinkable now but should hold until 2026”.