Having received international acclaim by wine connoisseurs and critics, Ao Yun continues its historical adventure this year with the launch of a new vintage, the 2014.

When we talk about wine, we often think of regions like France, Italy, Australia, Argentina and maybe even the US and Canada. Asian countries, let alone somewhere as remote as the Himalayas, hardly ever come to mind.

In 2016, however, the world met China’s first luxury vintage wine, the Ao Yun 2013 – a product of Moët Hennessy’s bold venture into the remote North corner of Yunnan, at the edge of the Himalayas. Having received international acclaim by wine connoisseurs and critics, Ao Yun continues its historical adventure this year with the launch of a new vintage, the 2014.

Introduced at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur last July, the 2014 boasts the same freshness, elegance, superb balance and subtle tannins that characterize this terroir, with even more precision and complexity than the previous vintage.

Ao Yun’s French winemaker, Maxence Dulou, says, “The 2014 vintage was a warmer and dryer than average season to which we have adapted and optimized our vineyard management. This allowed to produce a wine showing more complexity than the 2013.”

Comprising a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the intense, dark wine gives off a hint of ripeness and fruitiness on the nose. It is dry and full-bodied on the palate, with a smooth texture and delicate balance of sweetness from the berries and minerality from graphite. The overall experience is complex yet refreshing; and the soft tannins make up the unique character of this new Himalayan terroir.

The Ao Yun 2014 retails at RM988.98 and is available directly through Moët Hennessy Diageo.