Come experience the launch of 2017 Ao Yun (its fifth vintage), an extraordinary wine produced in the Himalayas that will be shared and discussed by the Estate Director and Winemaker, Maxence Dulou, at our K11 Musea location on 20th April. Ao Yun is a Bordeaux style wine produced in northern Yunnan Province, and the name means "flying or roaming above the clouds". The team behind this wine (Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits part of LVMH) spent four years searching for a site to plant vines to make world class wine. In the end, they ended up purchasing a site that had some vines that had been in existence since 2002. The vineyards are located in four different villages in Yunnan – Xidang, Sinong, Shuori and Adong. For winemaker, Maxence Dulou, the Tibetan farmers who work these vines are an essential part of the winemaking process, so the wine that’s made here is very much a collaborative effort between different cultures and winemaking ideas.

The vineyards are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with approximately 10% Cabernet Franc as well as a portion of more recently planted Petit Verdot and Merlot. They’ve also planted some Syrah. These are high altitude vineyards located at 2200 to 2600 metres (approximately 25% less oxygen there), and in addition to the high elevation, the air is quite dry. They practice organic farming as the lack of rain helps reduce the threat of botrytis and mildew. Maxence Dulou was formerly at Saint-Émilion estate Château Quinault before taking on the project of Ao Yun. The vineyards receive 30% less sunshine because they are located in a steep valley. This orientation results in a longer ripening period. In terms of rainfall in wine regions, Maxence describes this area in Yunnan as being a hybrid between California and Bordeaux. Linden visited Ao Yun and wrote a full report about the winery and his impression of the wine. Click here to read more.

The first vintage of Ao Yun was the 2013. In May of 2019, we held a dinner with Maxence, and he described the unifying qualities that you find in a glass of Ao Yun. Maxence described the three vintages we enjoyed at that dinner (2013, 2014 and 2015) as having symmetry with the following three elements in common: “ripeness and freshness in the nose, soft tannins and a long, salty and minerally finish.” He went on to explain that each vintage shows its unique qualities too reflecting the climate differences of each year. Let’s see what we find in a glass of 2017 Ao Yun. We will taste 2014-2017 with Maxence in April, and we hope you join us!

Wines to be served:
2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Ao Yun