2018 Ao Yun

Chinese wine? Is that really a thing?

It’s a common question asked of wine professionals. All we can answer is, yes. Yes, it most certainly is. But today’s offer is anything but a common wine. In fact Ao Yun Shangri-La is fast being recognized as the greatest wine to come out of the country. With an extremely limited allocation of just 36 bottles this is one you will not want to miss.

Now, China is a large place, so where exactly are we? Who is making this wine? Well, Moet Hennessey is behind the project, undertaking a four year journey to discover the best possible site in the country for premium, French-style winemaking. They found their site in Deqin County in northern Yunnan, itself in south-west China. Here vineyards run from the tops of the mountains to deep valleys. It’s a place where the name Ao Yun ‘To fly above clouds’, rings true.

Maxence Dulou heads up wine-making here, drawn to the region due to the largely explored possibilities for premium grape-growing. With time spent in South Africa, Chile, and of course Bordeaux (Château Quinault), the project is in great hands.

The results show. The wine itself is close to a classic Bordeaux blend, seeing 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 10% merlot, 7% syrah and the remainder petit verdot.

More recently, in July 2020, a similar event, known as The Judgement of Hong Kong took place, this time with Chinese Wines against the French. You probably already know that Ao Yun was the overall winner.