2017 Ao Yun
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Tasting notes
The Ao Yun vineyards – Moët Hennessy’s Chinese project – are some of the world’s most dramatic and extreme, towering at over 2,000 metres’ altitude over the Mekong. This is undoubtedly the best vintage to date, with each one showing a leap forward in quality as the team gets to know this unique terroir. The 2017 vintage was challenging and the latest harvest to date, with Estate Manager Maxence Dulou deciding to pull back on extraction – something that you can feel in the elegant texture here. The lifted nose is a little wild – with a savoury earthiness, garrigue-like herbs and a crushed-rock minerality. On the palate, there’s remarkable purity and concentration, with a crunch of crystalline redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit bringing real vibrancy to complement the wine’s bramble richness. The texture of this wine is what really stands out, however. There’s a softness and precision here, with extraordinarily fine, seamless tannins. The acidity is mouth-wateringly fresh and saline, balancing the wine’s intensity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Edward Ragg, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 4% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot. Much more fragrant and complex than their 2018 with violet and milk chocolate. Has the same aggressive acidity though, and finishes with bitterness. Even so, there is a sense of terroir here, although the result it gives is pretty hard-edged and tart, with fine-grained but noticeable tannin. (RH)
Inky purple, this is extremely concentrated, reflecting the thick skins that develop at this high altitude site. A little different in style from the other vintages in this vertical, with a touch of smoky reduction that accentuates the fresh herbs, smoked black tea, raspberry leaf and sour cherry along with Cabernet-dominant blueberry and blackcurrant fruit. Sculpted, with mouthwatering oyster shell and slate minerality on the finish. This feels like a mountain wine, and is excellent quality, from a cooler vintage overall. Harvest September 19 (Xidang Village, 2,100m altitude) through to November 22 (Adong Village, 2,600 altitude), the longest to date with over two months between first and last picking. A touch of Merlot in the blend for the first time, bringing the number of grape varieties in the blend to five, 36% new oak.
Another step up in quality from 2016. Lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas with plenty of richness and ripeness on the nose. Spicy notes, too with dried chili, sweet tobacco and some pine. Very aromatic. Full-bodied and round with creamy, ripe tannins and lots of ripe fruit. Yet, it remains fresh and vivid. A little bit of merlot in the blend for the first time Mostly cabernet sauvignon with cabernet franc, syrah, petit verdot and merlot. Delicious now, but will age nicely. It’s more approachable than the 2016 now. Superb length here. Give it time in the bottle. Better after 2025. 3,000 cases made.
About the producer
Ao Yun – translating literally as “flying above the clouds” – is China’s most famous wine estate. Owned by Moët Hennessy, the aim was to produce a world-class fine wine that was the first Himalayan “grand cru”. The first vintage was 2013, released in 2016.