Noticeable improvement from the last bottle I tried approximately 2 years ago. Gone are the green and almost charcoal like notes that stuck out last time. Now well integrated with blackberry / billberry flavors leading the way and not yet much in the way of more tertiary development. Still some noticeable fine tanins in the first hour or so open, but rounded out nicely after about an hour in the decanter. This bottle was in a good, enjoyable spot, especially with food. Unsure if this has the frame to develop further or reach another level though.
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3 hr decant - which was sufficient. Well, quite a change in 4 years since the last tasting. The really prominent capsicum is largely gone, or rather not at all dominant any more. Ripe dark berries, graphite, a little spice (this too is diminished) and some meaty flavors prevail. Overall much better integrated, much closer to more recent vintages, less exotic flavored ( this is a positive or negative depending on how you feel about other aspects of the wine). To me it had finally sorted itself out. At maturity. Several years ahead of it (I’d guess at least 5) at this plateau. Went gangbusters with herbed rack of venison. Score: 93-94. Relative to expectations: ++
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Medium ruby with some garnet notes. Nice nose with lots of red and dark berries - some spices in the background. On the palate blueberries, ripe raspberries, black currant, red cherries and some soft graphite notes. Medium bodied with a medium acidity. Tannins are smooth and completely integrated. Great structure and depth. Medium (+) complexity and a very good overall balance. Quite elegant mouth feeling. Nice medium long to long finish. It’s in a good spot now and can age for some more years. Drink now until 2028. A good wine which showed better than the first bottle I had 5 years ago. Around 24,000 bottles of this inaugural vintage were produced. (IG)
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Wet eatth, blackberries, blueberries, mocha, and green pepper. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity with moderate finish. Too steamy and green pepper for me to really like. To me, this is a curiosity wine. There are many better wines for $300.00 out there.
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Blind. Obvious notes of Cab Franc greeness and grassy pyrzaine. But that was kinda it... Can't say this is a wine I understand; friends say later vintages are better. 90
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Bordeaux rood. Neus: Rood fruit met kruidige neus, mint. Weinig rook Smaak: rood fruit, frisse zuren, matige tanine, vrij hoog in alcohol. Krachtige wijn met volle body en lange afdronk
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This really is a very good wine. LVMH came along and went into this project with a 'money is no inhibitor' approach, and it shows here. The tannins are super integrated into the wine - those coming from the 100% new french oak barrels. Hand picking and sorting is evident - they got the best of the best. Is it worth the hefty price tag? Maybe if money is no inhibitor to the consumer as well! The flavour is concentrated, rich, dense and complex, but you would expect that. This does unfurl and unwind wonderfully after 3+ hours of decanting, so give it a chance to show itself.
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Earthy nose with blueberries, black currants, blackberries, wood, light vanilla, espresso, wet leaves, forest floor, smoke, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite, vegetables, bell pepper, licorice and black pepper.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with with blueberries, sweet cherries, black plums, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, wet leaves, black tea, peppercorn and leather.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a nice surprise. My first Chinese wine, and that’s a great start. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. Feels like a Left Bank Bordeaux.
This 6 year old is nicely balanced, although could use a few more years in the bottle to mature.
Interesting enough to drink by itself with good friends and talk about.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the complexity.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are grown at over 8,000 feet elevation.
15% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$300.
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Very similar notes to last time. On this occasion, 2 hrs decant. Almost zero sediment. Initially quite a bit of pepper, hot spice, graphite. After another 2 hrs started to mellow into genuine 5-spice over an increasingly rich cherry/strawberry core -- as if the wine unfolded almost exactly in the opposite sequence to what you'd expect. Makes me think even the 2013 is aging worthy -- I intend to keep my last bottle for another 5-7 years. Still think the 2015 is substantially better than this inaugural vintage. But this reassures me about the basic value of the wine. I keep calling it China's Ausone and every time I taste it I feel more vindicated calling it that. Little side note on suggestibility. The exotic perfume I experienced the first time made me think the Cab Franc content was higher in 2013 than in 2015. Nope, said one of the Ao Yun managers when I tasted the 2015 -- the percentage of Cab Franc is highest in 2015. Now I retaste the 2013 and of course I can taste all the Cab Sauvignon... amazing what you can guess when you know the answer..... Score: 91. Relative to expectations:(+) in that it is the same score as the last time, but I now think it has more potential for the future than last time I tried it...
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An interesting experiment... a Cab grown in China! Better than I expected, but nothing to write home about. The price tag of $250 is, of course, crazy, fortunately our bottle was a gift.
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First take out of the bottle was disappointment. Nose initially of harsh aromas reminiscent of organic chem lab. Palate very unintegrated, with three distinct phases that didn’t flow well.
After some time, however, things came together, and it rather grew on me:
Nose of tart red and ripe black fruit. Reminds a lot of Las Cases and Latour. Later on, a hint of pauilliac graphite and leather.
Soft and round on the attack, like a classically styled Napa cab, montelena especially, with a hint of languedoc or Rhône funkiness and herbaceousness. What’s in this again?
Mid palate more chaotic, hot unrestrained alcohol is a bit overpowering, with slightly sharp Bordeaux-like flavor reminiscent of some left bank 1996s.
Finish is medium length with some solvent-y notes suggestive of not-yet-integrated wood or touchy fermentation
Overall it reminds me of a mature Bordeaux second growth from an OK-not-great 90s vintage. Definitely fun to try and sure they’ll sell plenty, but I’ll stick with my Les Cases for now.
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First vintage of the LVMH project Ao Yun in China. Deep red and purple color. Beautiful flowery nose. A little harsh after uncorking. Better and quite smooth after 2-3 hours. A lot of red fruits, cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Not very complex or deep but a very enjoyable taste. Good try for the first vintage although way too expensive - but I guess, with the LVMH branding in the background the won't have a problem selling their 2.000 produced cases. Very interesting and between 91/92 points right now.
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Excellent wine from first release of a 14 year LVMH project in a remote Chinese area 8,000 ft elevation with 300 person dedicated team. While perhaps not as complex as world class examples, this was impressive.
Dark rich pure extracted smooth creamy dark red fruits with a succulent edge. Comes across very Napa like. A bit monolithic, yet this primary flavor profile does impress. A project to each with great interest.
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Super savory Cab nose: graphite, dark green leaves, roasted peppers, cassoulet, cassis, plums... there's also some nice white flowers in there. Significant but not overbearing structure, satin textured tannin, not a lot of fat or heft, lithe and muscular, medium to full bodied. Sweet dark cherry and spice appears on the long dry finish, very savory and elegant. A touch of heat on the finish is a little distracting and unexpected given the cool and savory character.
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Truffles with the SLDS (CFs): Blind. Swirling spices, violets, cranberry, blueberry and herbs with really lifted perfume - this is distintively Cabernet. Beautiful balance and composure, the fruit has ripeness but also a cool streak through it, with good acidity and tannin. Very impressive wine and I was surprised when its identity was revealed. Great to try and while the pricing is highly ambitious, the quality of this bottle isn't too far off that.
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Rich colour. Very distinctive nose, pronounced non-fruit aroma thats hard to place (not vegetal, not menthol, not gamey) hiding slight red fruits. Mushroom. Lots going on. Even some slight funk. Open 3 hours. Med acid and tannin. Interesting experience. Can't put a score on it.
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A very impressive first vintage. Currently needs about 2 hours+ to open up. This is a serious and unique effort even in its inaugural edition with young vines. Nose had some vegetal/green pepper aroma at first that settled down after a short while in the glass. When that dissipated it was replaced by a very exotic spice tone akin to 5 spice, along with a hard to precisely describe buttery quality. There was also a pleasant scent of peat and mushroom, along with something like dried flowers. I personally did not find this wine particularly hot on nose or palate, and the wine was served slightly above ideal temperature. We were struck by how smooth it was; if I didn't know the year I would have guessed this was a significantly older wine since it was so smooth. On the palate the fruit was surprisingly dark and compote-like, dominated by plum flavors, with some vanilla and a touch of meat. Be careful with food pairings since after about 3 hours air time the wine will pick up pepper flavors in the food and amplify them in the glass. The style is not at all "international" -- this appears to be a genuine and serious attempt to bring out the wine's terroir. And that makes it a very different wine -- and a very good one. This simply does not taste like Bordeaux, even less like California cabs. The closest claret in taste I can compare this to is Ausone -- and like Ausone my guess is this is going to be a tricky wine to predict and evaluate, but worth the added attention. It's hard to guess the trajectory of this vintage, but it probably should improve for at least another 5 years. No idea how long the plateau will be. To me this wine is an exciting harbinger for the future, with older vines and more experience making world class wine in this region. If a wine of this quality is what can be made in Year 1, then what they will be able to do in Year 10 could be amazing.
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No 9, medium ruby with a medium- vague rim: pungent green bell pepper on the nose and a hint of woodiness. Medium acidity, medium+ body, an austere piercing touch and persistent hot in the finish（15%), medium fine but coating tannin. Very powerful and warming. A hint of the red bean.
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Deep red, purple colour, bright not opaque LOvely nose, really jumps out of the glass, red fruit, cherries and then smoky notes with cloves and tea, some violets too, smells really fresh Supple on the palate, very fresh, pure bright fruit and gorgeous tannins, so smooth (but not bland) Touch of toastiness, just a hint, and some dark chocolate. Quite noticeable alcohol (15%) but it doesn't really spoil the experience. Really delicious wine. Showing well now but also feels quite tightly coiled and will I am sure show more complexity with a few more years. Very expensive at around £225 a bottle but I doubt they will have a shortage of takers
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Crushed raspberry, blackberry, peppery spice, herbs and crushed stone defined the bouquet. On the palate, it was unexpectedly silky with dense textures and the balanced acidity to maintain a fresh and lively experience. Showing dense, dark red and blue fruits, spice and herbs. It finished fresh and lifted, yet still structured.
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Opened, decanted and tried over an eight hour time period. Started really showing well around six hours and at eight was really great. Red currant and plum notes with a large dose of lead pencil. Nice minerality all throughout and a great burst of acidity on the finish. Refreshing and energetic. Fine tannins. Pretty delicious overall.
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The first vintage of Ao Yun is a winner. The $250 price might turn a lot of people off. But price aside, this is a very good wine. From a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine is floral in nature. Ripe, but not over ripe, it is elegant in style. There is a spicy, polished, fresh quality to the dark red fruits, softness in the tannins and freshness in the finish. There is no sensation of heat, or jammy characteristics, even though the wine is 13.8% with a pH of 3.6. The wine improved in the glass for the hour or so, we were able to sit with it. 2013 is the initial vintage, knowing that Jean Guillaume Prats in charge of the project, I expect future releases to be even better.
90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet France, from the vines planted ten years ago. Bright red fruit driven nose, cherry and cranberry, a hint of green pepper vegetal, perhaps cumin, lead pencil and earth. One bottle showed medium concentration and the better bottle showed excellent concentration. The impression for me combines the nose of a very good non-classified left bank Bordeaux and a perfectly ripe high end Loire Cab Franc. It reminds Jean- Guillaume the bright red fruits of Pic Saint-Loup. It will be interesting to follow the projects as the vines mature.
$280 US MSRP.
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2/26/2024 - d.f.c Likes this wine: 94 Points
A powerful, full bodied yet refined wine. Strong alcohol level and tannins. But very refined. Nose of oak, earth and tabacco.
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11/29/2023 - MikePemulis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Noticeable improvement from the last bottle I tried approximately 2 years ago. Gone are the green and almost charcoal like notes that stuck out last time. Now well integrated with blackberry / billberry flavors leading the way and not yet much in the way of more tertiary development. Still some noticeable fine tanins in the first hour or so open, but rounded out nicely after about an hour in the decanter. This bottle was in a good, enjoyable spot, especially with food. Unsure if this has the frame to develop further or reach another level though.
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5/20/2023 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 93 Points
3 hr decant - which was sufficient.
Well, quite a change in 4 years since the last tasting. The really prominent capsicum is largely gone, or rather not at all dominant any more. Ripe dark berries, graphite, a little spice (this too is diminished) and some meaty flavors prevail. Overall much better integrated, much closer to more recent vintages, less exotic flavored ( this is a positive or negative depending on how you feel about other aspects of the wine). To me it had finally sorted itself out.
At maturity. Several years ahead of it (I’d guess at least 5) at this plateau. Went gangbusters with herbed rack of venison.
Score: 93-94. Relative to expectations: ++
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2/17/2023 - astroman Does not like this wine: 92 Points
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay not from Burgundy; 2/17/2023-2/18/2023: Blind. Aromas of graphite, sweet on palate with some capsicum. No indicate on the age of the wine. Well made wine but probably not worth its price tag in the current market.
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11/19/2022 - DrZett wrote: 92 Points
Medium ruby with some garnet notes. Nice nose with lots of red and dark berries - some spices in the background. On the palate blueberries, ripe raspberries, black currant, red cherries and some soft graphite notes. Medium bodied with a medium acidity. Tannins are smooth and completely integrated. Great structure and depth. Medium (+) complexity and a very good overall balance. Quite elegant mouth feeling. Nice medium long to long finish.
It’s in a good spot now and can age for some more years. Drink now until 2028.
A good wine which showed better than the first bottle I had 5 years ago.
Around 24,000 bottles of this inaugural vintage were produced. (IG)
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10/28/2022 - Endodr wrote: 88 Points
Wet eatth, blackberries, blueberries, mocha, and green pepper. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity with moderate finish. Too steamy and green pepper for me to really like. To me, this is a curiosity wine. There are many better wines for $300.00 out there.
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10/2/2021 - hprphf wrote: 90 Points
Blind. Obvious notes of Cab Franc greeness and grassy pyrzaine. But that was kinda it... Can't say this is a wine I understand; friends say later vintages are better. 90
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10/24/2020 - TXW213 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bordeaux rood.
Neus: Rood fruit met kruidige neus, mint. Weinig rook
Smaak: rood fruit, frisse zuren, matige tanine, vrij hoog in alcohol. Krachtige wijn met volle body en lange afdronk
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7/18/2020 - MichaelSy Likes this wine: 97 Points
I like JJYOYO's most recent tasting note.
This really is a very good wine. LVMH came along and went into this project with a 'money is no inhibitor' approach, and it shows here. The tannins are super integrated into the wine - those coming from the 100% new french oak barrels. Hand picking and sorting is evident - they got the best of the best. Is it worth the hefty price tag? Maybe if money is no inhibitor to the consumer as well! The flavour is concentrated, rich, dense and complex, but you would expect that. This does unfurl and unwind wonderfully after 3+ hours of decanting, so give it a chance to show itself.
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12/22/2019 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Earthy nose with blueberries, black currants, blackberries, wood, light vanilla, espresso, wet leaves, forest floor, smoke, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite, vegetables, bell pepper, licorice and black pepper.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with with blueberries, sweet cherries, black plums, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, wet leaves, black tea, peppercorn and leather.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a nice surprise. My first Chinese wine, and that’s a great start. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. Feels like a Left Bank Bordeaux.
This 6 year old is nicely balanced, although could use a few more years in the bottle to mature.
Interesting enough to drink by itself with good friends and talk about.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the complexity.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are grown at over 8,000 feet elevation.
15% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$300.
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12/16/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very similar notes to last time. On this occasion, 2 hrs decant. Almost zero sediment. Initially quite a bit of pepper, hot spice, graphite. After another 2 hrs started to mellow into genuine 5-spice over an increasingly rich cherry/strawberry core -- as if the wine unfolded almost exactly in the opposite sequence to what you'd expect. Makes me think even the 2013 is aging worthy -- I intend to keep my last bottle for another 5-7 years. Still think the 2015 is substantially better than this inaugural vintage. But this reassures me about the basic value of the wine. I keep calling it China's Ausone and every time I taste it I feel more vindicated calling it that.
Little side note on suggestibility. The exotic perfume I experienced the first time made me think the Cab Franc content was higher in 2013 than in 2015. Nope, said one of the Ao Yun managers when I tasted the 2015 -- the percentage of Cab Franc is highest in 2015. Now I retaste the 2013 and of course I can taste all the Cab Sauvignon... amazing what you can guess when you know the answer.....
Score: 91. Relative to expectations:(+) in that it is the same score as the last time, but I now think it has more potential for the future than last time I tried it...
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11/14/2019 - seijaro Likes this wine: 89 Points
An interesting experiment... a Cab grown in China! Better than I expected, but nothing to write home about. The price tag of $250 is, of course, crazy, fortunately our bottle was a gift.
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2/27/2019 - BryanGentile wrote:
Max Chicago visit
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3/8/2018 - Onegooddan Likes this wine: 93 Points
First take out of the bottle was disappointment. Nose initially of harsh aromas reminiscent of organic chem lab. Palate very unintegrated, with three distinct phases that didn’t flow well.
After some time, however, things came together, and it rather grew on me:
Nose of tart red and ripe black fruit. Reminds a lot of Las Cases and Latour. Later on, a hint of pauilliac graphite and leather.
Soft and round on the attack, like a classically styled Napa cab, montelena especially, with a hint of languedoc or Rhône funkiness and herbaceousness. What’s in this again?
Mid palate more chaotic, hot unrestrained alcohol is a bit overpowering, with slightly sharp Bordeaux-like flavor reminiscent of some left bank 1996s.
Finish is medium length with some solvent-y notes suggestive of not-yet-integrated wood or touchy fermentation
Overall it reminds me of a mature Bordeaux second growth from an OK-not-great 90s vintage. Definitely fun to try and sure they’ll sell plenty, but I’ll stick with my Les Cases for now.
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11/5/2017 - DrZett wrote: 91 Points
First vintage of the LVMH project Ao Yun in China. Deep red and purple color. Beautiful flowery nose. A little harsh after uncorking. Better and quite smooth after 2-3 hours. A lot of red fruits, cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Not very complex or deep but a very enjoyable taste. Good try for the first vintage although way too expensive - but I guess, with the LVMH branding in the background the won't have a problem selling their 2.000 produced cases. Very interesting and between 91/92 points right now.
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10/22/2017 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine from first release of a 14 year LVMH project in a remote Chinese area 8,000 ft elevation with 300 person dedicated team. While perhaps not as complex as world class examples, this was impressive.
Dark rich pure extracted smooth creamy dark red fruits with a succulent edge. Comes across very Napa like. A bit monolithic, yet this primary flavor profile does impress. A project to each with great interest.
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10/11/2017 - viniferatu Likes this wine:
Super savory Cab nose: graphite, dark green leaves, roasted peppers, cassoulet, cassis, plums... there's also some nice white flowers in there. Significant but not overbearing structure, satin textured tannin, not a lot of fat or heft, lithe and muscular, medium to full bodied. Sweet dark cherry and spice appears on the long dry finish, very savory and elegant. A touch of heat on the finish is a little distracting and unexpected given the cool and savory character.
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7/29/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Truffles with the SLDS (CFs): Blind. Swirling spices, violets, cranberry, blueberry and herbs with really lifted perfume - this is distintively Cabernet. Beautiful balance and composure, the fruit has ripeness but also a cool streak through it, with good acidity and tannin. Very impressive wine and I was surprised when its identity was revealed. Great to try and while the pricing is highly ambitious, the quality of this bottle isn't too far off that.
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6/29/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 80 Points
Overly extracted. Too much oak. For 250usd, this is a massive ripoff.
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5/30/2017 - tnt4242 wrote:
Rich colour. Very distinctive nose, pronounced non-fruit aroma thats hard to place (not vegetal, not menthol, not gamey) hiding slight red fruits. Mushroom. Lots going on. Even some slight funk. Open 3 hours. Med acid and tannin. Interesting experience. Can't put a score on it.
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5/19/2017 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very impressive first vintage. Currently needs about 2 hours+ to open up. This is a serious and unique effort even in its inaugural edition with young vines.
Nose had some vegetal/green pepper aroma at first that settled down after a short while in the glass. When that dissipated it was replaced by a very exotic spice tone akin to 5 spice, along with a hard to precisely describe buttery quality. There was also a pleasant scent of peat and mushroom, along with something like dried flowers.
I personally did not find this wine particularly hot on nose or palate, and the wine was served slightly above ideal temperature. We were struck by how smooth it was; if I didn't know the year I would have guessed this was a significantly older wine since it was so smooth. On the palate the fruit was surprisingly dark and compote-like, dominated by plum flavors, with some vanilla and a touch of meat. Be careful with food pairings since after about 3 hours air time the wine will pick up pepper flavors in the food and amplify them in the glass.
The style is not at all "international" -- this appears to be a genuine and serious attempt to bring out the wine's terroir. And that makes it a very different wine -- and a very good one. This simply does not taste like Bordeaux, even less like California cabs. The closest claret in taste I can compare this to is Ausone -- and like Ausone my guess is this is going to be a tricky wine to predict and evaluate, but worth the added attention.
It's hard to guess the trajectory of this vintage, but it probably should improve for at least another 5 years. No idea how long the plateau will be. To me this wine is an exciting harbinger for the future, with older vines and more experience making world class wine in this region. If a wine of this quality is what can be made in Year 1, then what they will be able to do in Year 10 could be amazing.
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3/18/2017 - pipetree wrote:
No 9, medium ruby with a medium- vague rim: pungent green bell pepper on the nose and a hint of woodiness. Medium acidity, medium+ body, an austere piercing touch and persistent hot in the finish（15%), medium fine but coating tannin. Very powerful and warming. A hint of the red bean.
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12/7/2016 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Deep red, purple colour, bright not opaque
LOvely nose, really jumps out of the glass, red fruit, cherries and then smoky notes with cloves and tea, some violets too, smells really fresh
Supple on the palate, very fresh, pure bright fruit and gorgeous tannins, so smooth (but not bland) Touch of toastiness, just a hint, and some dark chocolate. Quite noticeable alcohol (15%) but it doesn't really spoil the experience.
Really delicious wine. Showing well now but also feels quite tightly coiled and will I am sure show more complexity with a few more years.
Very expensive at around £225 a bottle but I doubt they will have a shortage of takers
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12/5/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
Crushed raspberry, blackberry, peppery spice, herbs and crushed stone defined the bouquet. On the palate, it was unexpectedly silky with dense textures and the balanced acidity to maintain a fresh and lively experience. Showing dense, dark red and blue fruits, spice and herbs. It finished fresh and lifted, yet still structured.
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12/3/2016 - Dave Canada wrote: 88 Points
The Fifteenth Annual Stonefields Wine Tasting Dinner for Charity (Guelph, Ontario, Canada): Really dominated by bell pepper, celery and pyrazene notes on the nose.
Palate shows more fruit but is still very vegetal and underripe. Acid is also a bit lower than I would have liked
Finish is medium and dominated by green flavours.
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10/15/2016 - MatthewF wrote:
Opened, decanted and tried over an eight hour time period. Started really showing well around six hours and at eight was really great. Red currant and plum notes with a large dose of lead pencil. Nice minerality all throughout and a great burst of acidity on the finish. Refreshing and energetic. Fine tannins. Pretty delicious overall.
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9/22/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
The first vintage of Ao Yun is a winner. The $250 price might turn a lot of people off. But price aside, this is a very good wine. From a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine is floral in nature. Ripe, but not over ripe, it is elegant in style. There is a spicy, polished, fresh quality to the dark red fruits, softness in the tannins and freshness in the finish. There is no sensation of heat, or jammy characteristics, even though the wine is 13.8% with a pH of 3.6. The wine improved in the glass for the hour or so, we were able to sit with it. 2013 is the initial vintage, knowing that Jean Guillaume Prats in charge of the project, I expect future releases to be even better.
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4/11/2016 - dcwino wrote: 90 Points
Ao Yun wine launch dinner with Jean Guillame Prats (Marcel's Restaurant, Washington D.C.): Truly an ambitious and perhaps a bit crazy project of LVMH that is spearheaded by Jean-Guillaume Prats.
http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/moet-hennessy-to-bottle-first-chinese-red-wine-765/
90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet France, from the vines planted ten years ago. Bright red fruit driven nose, cherry and cranberry, a hint of green pepper vegetal, perhaps cumin, lead pencil and earth. One bottle showed medium concentration and the better bottle showed excellent concentration. The impression for me combines the nose of a very good non-classified left bank Bordeaux and a perfectly ripe high end Loire Cab Franc. It reminds Jean- Guillaume the bright red fruits of Pic Saint-Loup. It will be interesting to follow the projects as the vines mature.
$280 US MSRP.
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