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Ao Yun (Gift Box) 2020 75cl

Yunnan | China
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All vintages

2017 2020
Critics scores
96 Robert Parker
The 2020 Ao Yun is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 6% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot, with the fruit being sourced from Ao Yun’s four villages in order of rising altitude and percentage terms as follows: 10% from Xidang, 18% from Sinong, 38% from Shuori and 34% from Adong. The wine has a very deep purple appearance and sports a beautifully complex nose of lifted, perfumed dark fruit—cassis, bramble, black cherry, black plum, blueberry, mulberry—with herbaceous notes of mint, green bell pepper and sage, these primary elements marrying beautifully with some subtle, new oak notes of clove, toast, smoke and vanilla. Like the Village Cru red wines, this was matured for 12 months in 30% new, small-format French oak with 30% in older wood and the remainder in Yunnanese stoneware jars. On the palate, this is very full-bodied with super-ripe coating and fine-grained tannins with vibrant acidity—this comes naturally at 3.35 pH—and well-integrated 13.5% alcohol, providing the platform for the concentrated dark fruit and sweet and savory pyrazine and new oak notes. While this wine does not have the immediate "generosity" or sumptuousness of the 2019 vintage, it is undeniably elegant, polished and powerful in its own vintage expression. With its very long length, the 2020 Ao Yun has a complex, layered finish that is abundantly youthful. While it is approachable now, it will show better going forward and will comfortably age for at least 15 years<br/><br/>
Producer
Ao Yun

Representing China’s first true luxury wine, Ao Yun is found in in the northwestern part of China’s southern Yunnan region. Meaning “roaming above the clouds” – Ao Yun is perched along the foothills of the Himalayas. This venture began in 2009 when Christophe Navarre, Chief Executive Officer of Moët Hennessy, dove into a long-held dream of his, to find the perfect spot in China to produce red wines. After years of scrupulous exploration, with the help of Australian enologist, Tony Jordan, this remote area was selected not only for its terroir, but also its geographical features. The altitude, of 2000 – 2600 metres, provides a rather dry and cool climate, but also the slopes provide exposure to sunlight. The long ripening period, along with extended sunlight builds intensity and tannins that are very silky. Ao Yun revealed their first vintage, the 2013, in 2016 and is considered today as one of the best red wines ever produced in China. Ao Yun is a ripe fruity, dark and powerful wine with a spicy touch, and a hint of licorice. The present tannin makes this a wine that should age well. This is definitely one of China’s top red wines, its unique taste, reminiscent of a Spanish Ribera del Duero, but also a Napa Cult Cabernet – makes Ao Yun a wine to try.