The vineyard is located just below the sacred Meili Mountain.
Photo: Courtesy of Ao Yun
Maxence Dulou
The winemaker is behind a collectible new bottling made in the foothills of the Himalayas
Winemaker Maxence Dulou’s first vintage with Ao Yun, a relatively new bottling made in the foothills of the Himalayas that’s part of the LVMH family, was a rich Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a touch of Cabernet Franc that quickly became a collectible among oenophiles. “Ao Yun is the definition of rare and exceptional,” says Dulou, whose 2015 vintage will arrive this summer. “They have tasted a wine unlike any other, a piece of some Himalayan terroir, a unique fine wine.”
Ao Yun’s 2014 vintage. Photo: Courtesy of Ao Yun
Best part of the job: “To have the opportunity to participate in the discovery of a new terroir and in the Himalayas, where there is such a unique terroir, was the perfect way of finally being able to live my dream.”
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Maxence Dulou. Photo: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images
Greatest challenges: “Our vineyards are located in a very remote area, so we also have to source and get all our equipment in time and keep it well maintained. Cultural differences in our team create difficulties to understand each other, but it is also great to have this melting pot.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2019 Spring Issue under the headline Creative Minds. Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: The vineyard is located just below the sacred Meili Mountain.
Photo: Courtesy of Ao Yun
