2019 Ao Yun

Immediate impact of scented herbs, with waves of iris and chalky violet, this is intense and concentrated with gourmet edges of chocolate and liqourice root, but everything seems chiselled, hewn, precisely constructed. It has been a pleasure seeing this wine develop since its inaugural vintage, and here it feels far much more quietly confident than the early years when oak impact was more evident. What you get here instead is a nuanced complexity that reflects a true fine wine with sinewed muscles and plenty of ageing potential. 2019 saw a cool winter with a late bud burst, then the driest, warmest Spring since the project began followed by a cooler summer, with an extended harvest from September 9 to November 21, 72 days in total (compared to an average of 54 days) and a low yield of 16hl/h. 30% Chinese stoneware jars, 35% oak barrels, 35% new oak barrels for ageing, final blend done at sea level in Hong Kong. The introduction of the village crus last year to the Ao Yun range has helped finesse the selection from the four villages, and you feel the impact here - 53% of production is in this wine from 28ha of vines set across 727 plots.
96/100 Jane Anson