The “best vintage to date” of Ao Yun, LVMH’s Chinese wine venture in Shangri-la, has been released on La Place de Bordeaux. Armit Wines is offering the Chinese wine at £1,380 for a six-bottle case in bond. Ao Yun was the first – and so far the only – Chinese Grand Cru to be released through the Bordeaux négociant system, having launched in 2022 with the 2018 vintage. It was born out of a four-year search by Tony Jordan for Moët & Hennessy and The 2020 release released today is the eight vintage – a number associated with prosperity and success in Chinese culture – and it doesn’t disappoint. It was one of db Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay’s top picks of this spring’s releases, scoring 97+ points, a wine he described as “fascinating and deeply engaging… profound and rather beautiful aromatically in its slight austerity and restraint”, a fresh and exciting wine that was “perhaps the best vintage yet of this unique wine”. This sentiment was echoed by Edward Ragg of the Wine Advocate, who said that while lacking the “sumptuousness” of the 2019 vintage, the 2020 was “undeniably elegant, polished and powerful in its own vintage expression” and a very long “complex, layered finish that is abundantly youthful” He noted that while “approachable now”, the wine will “comfortably age for at least 15 years.” Ao Yun comes from a remote area of North Yunnan, in the foothills of the Himalayas, between the Mekong River and the 6,800 metre summit
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
