In this year’s Best of the Best 2019 – Asian Edition, we round up the greatest brands, products and experiences in the region. Produced in the foothills of the Himalayas, Ao Yun is the fruit of winemaking in uncharted territories

The art of dinner conversation might be lost but for the exemplary Ao Yun. The evening grows young as you’re drawn by what this enigmatic presence tells you about its origins; a flash of fresh summer-at-the-races glamour; a glint of earthiness, savoury and sweet like spice. Born of LVMH’s unthrottled attempt at making a flagship wine in China, Ao Yun is endlessly fascinating company. Its subtlety and sheer finesse can be described as oriental, even exotic, while its power recalls classically well-balanced Bordeaux. Its 2014 blend is Ao Yun’s second vintage and has a more complex flavour than the 2013 blend. The full-bodied wine has flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg, with hints of red dates, a cultural nod to the wine’s origins.

To appreciate the wine, one needs to know Ao Yun’s terroir, including its people. The stunning villages of Adong, Xinang, Sinong and Shuori dot the foothills of the sacred Meili, in the vicinity of the World Heritage-listed Three Parallel Rivers of Salween, Mekong and Yangtze in Yunnan, the province of China with the greatest diversity of wildlife and culture. How apt for a wine of great beauty that moves with the clouds.

This was a part of our Best of the Best 2019 – Asian Edition. To view all winners, click here.