敖云香格里拉 Ao Yun Shangri-La 2014

"... velvety & fruity, elegant, complex ... "

Ao Yun is an ambitious project by LVMH to create a unique, world-class wine estate in an ideal but new environment.  The famed Australian winemaker, Dr. Tony Jordan, was commissioned to find such a place.  He found his way to the foothills of the Himalayas in Yunnan, near the legendary and remote villages of Shangri-La.  There he found not only conditions that reminded him of Bordeaux but also the remnants of a wholly forgotten series of vineyards planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which had been introduced by French missionaries in the 1800s.  The weather station he implemented locally in 2010 has provided 12 years of weather data to show the Shangri-La climate is a hybrid one between Bordeaux and Napa in term of temperature/sun/rain depending on season.

Located at an altitude between 6890 and 8530 feet (2100 to 2600 meters, 500 meters of variation), Ao Yun's vineyards are spread out on both banks of the Mekong River.  The mountainous region is spectacular, with unique vineyards from the valley floor to mountain high.  Ao Yun leases 314 blocks, with 727 tiny sub-parcels identified, totaling 28 ha from 120 local families in 4 villages of the Upper Mekong Valley. There are different soil types and climates in each village due to different altitudes, sun exposure, wind exposure, landslide and river deposits.  With such variety of soil and finely identified parcels, Ao Yun takes the Burgundy Approach to cultivate each parcel, as shown here in a map from Adong, one of the four villages producing grapes for Ao Yun:

After harvesting and micro-vinification, the winemaker conducts blind tastings from each parcel/terroir, before using the Bordeaux art of blending to create the Ao Yun Grand Cru.  In the true Bordeaux fashion, the blending is different from year to year.

In certain years, the wine from each individual village is bottled under its own name: Shuori （说日）, Adong（阿东）, Sinong（斯农）, Xidang（西当）.

Ao Yun（敖云）means “above the clouds.”  From the video presented by the estate, one can almost tell there is something weightless and ethereal about the place and the wine it produces.

"The 2014 Ao Yun is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. With its deep ruby appearance, the 2014 Ao Yun shows dark, brooding cassis and leafy bramble fruit overlaid by marked toasted new oak and a touch of development, now at around five years of evolution in a vintage that looks as though it will evolve more readily than the more robust 2015 and 2016 wines. That said, on the palate, the 2014 is still relatively youthful with a ripe core of dark fruit, distinct new-oak notes of clove, smoke, vanilla and toast, ripe chewy tannins and some uplifting acidity. This seems more savory in style overall than either the 2015 or 2016 vintages and a step up in quality from the inaugural 2013 Ao Yun. Still needs time, if approachable now." - Edward Ragg, The Wine Advocate (12/10/2020), Rating: 91

"Second vintage and the step up is clear - already standing among the best Chinese wines that I have tasted, and an amazing achievement for only the second year. Soft plum in colour, just beginning to show its 8 years of age. There's a touch of reduction on the first nose, with plenty of concentrated damson and black cherry fruit to sink into on the palate, along with sage, clove, saffron, fennel, liqourice, graphite, crushed rocks. Sleek and enjoyable, with the fresh acidities of a mountain wine coming through more clearly as it ages than I found when it was first bottled. This was tasted as part of the vertical, then drunk again later over food and it was even better - strongly suggest seeking out to see just what can be produced on this site with a bit of bottle ageing. Harvest lasted from September 14 (Xidang Village, 2100m) through to October 21 (Adong Village, 2,600m), significantly earlier than 2013 after a warmer growing season, with low yields of just 15hl/h. First wine made in the new cellar located in Adong Village. 50% new oak for ageing." - Jane Anson (2/26/2022) Ratings: 94, Drink: 2022-2034

The team in charge of Ao Yun is led by French winemaker, Maxence Dulou.  They practice a cousu main (tailor-made) vineyard approach to express the terroir.  A few noticeable points:

1. Shoot accuracy for customized fruit thinning: instead of aiming for a yield target per hectare (common practice), MH Shangri-La has optimized quality down to a single shoot.  Based on 35 terroirs and 5 vine types, the team only keeps 100 to 200g of grapes per shoot.
2. An accurate weather forecasting system: years of experimentation and newly adopted AI system to facilitate better decision making based on accurate weather forecast
3. Pure soils and fruit: The vineyards adopted European organic farming standards since 2013.  To harvest the purest expression of terroir, the team included an unheard-of technique of rinsing the grapes twice while still hanging on the vine prior to harvest. This method ensures that any residue, even organic, is removed from grape skins.