• Ao Yun to release its fifth vintage Ao Yun 2017 on 22nd March 2021 in Hong Kong


    The mystical northern edges in Shangri-La of China’s Yunnan province is home to Ao Yun by Moët Hennessy. Found at the sacred foothills of the Himalaya mountains after four years of research, the high-mountain conditions boast an ideal terroir for unparalleled Cabernet Sauvignon, with cooler night temperatures, strong sunlight and a drier end season. In 2016, Ao Yun released its first vintage, Ao Yun 2013 to high critical acclaim, re-writing the rules of modern winemaking and for the very first time, bringing Shangri-La, Yunnan to the winemaking map.

    2017 was marked by challenges in climatic conditions, starting with a dry and warm winter followed by a cool spring that delayed growth of the vines. The summer was cool and much too wet, and at the beginning of fall, a crucial window opened with one month of higher temperatures than average. The season’s climate and newly optimized ways of working in the vineyard resulted in a generous harvest with very powerful and beautifully mature grapes.

    Under these conditions, the 4 distinct villages of the upper Mekong Valley (Sinong, Xidang, Adong and Shuori) were harvested later than average, breaking the record for the latest harvest day for a red wine in the Northern hemisphere, with the last grape picked in Adong on 22 November 2017.

    Due to the high altitude of 2200m-2600m at which Ao Yun’s vineyards are nestled, the oxygen is 25% lower, which impacts taste perception. For this reason, the blend tasting of the 2017 vintage was made at sea level in Hong Kong for the second year.