2019 Ao Yun

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MARCH 27, 2023

Ao Yun presently spans 27 hectares under vine, all organically farmed, planted in four villages perched at more than 2,000 meters in elevation above the Mekong River in China’s Yunnan province. The first 14 hectares were planted on own-rooted vines by the Chinese Government as part of a plan to stem the exodus of the local population from the countryside. LVMH planted a further 13 hectares using a variety of rootstocks to form the property as it is today.

The 2019 Ao Yun is seriously impressive. Bright, fresh and vibrant in the glass, the 2019 is a wine of energy more than size. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, cinnamon, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco are all finely cut in this mid-weight, Cabernet Sauvignon-based red. In 2019 the blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot from the villages of Shuori, Xidang, Adong and Sinong, aged in 35% new oak, 35% once-filled barrels and 30% stone jarres. It’s a fine effort from the team led by Technical Director Maxence Dulou, a Bordeaux native who spent time in Chile, South Africa and several prestigious Bordeaux châteaux (including Cheval Blanc, Le Tour de Pin and Quinault L’Enclos) before moving with his young family to China in 2013 to head this ambitious project for LVMH. 96/Drink 2024-2034.