Alright, so a follow-up to our Japanese wines tasting we had some time ago (well, to be frank, also this vol. II was also some time ago - in late 2024 - but that’s just how my note backlog rolls).
Back then we had whites, now it was turn for reds.
One thing that has always baffled me is that distinctive, very savory, non-fruity or meaty, occasionally even gamey flavor that makes it quite easy to identify Japanese wines. Sure, you can taste it in some other reds as well, but definitely not as consistently as in Japanese wines. Some of the wines we tasted didn’t really show much if any of that character, but most wines did. I don’t know what it is or where does it come from - is it a yeast / fermentation thing; is the Japanese soil somehow influencing this; is it something that comes from winemaking, perhaps oak? I really have no idea. It seems to be there, no matter if the producer is making non-interventionist natural wines or very “made” conventional wines. Weird.
(The Vintage Port didn’t make it to the picture, as I tasted only a small sample from a bottle that didn’t stay at the tasting venue.)
- 2018 St. Cousair Rouge Nagano - Japan, Chūbu, Nagano (18.11.2024)
A blend of Merlot (48%), Cabernet Sauvignon (31%) and Cabernet Franc (21%). 12% alcohol.
Slightly translucent and somewhat evolved reddish-maroon color with a thin, pale red rim. The nose feels a bit reticent and quite savory with a somewhat meaty note supported by nuances of fresh dark fruits, some tobacco, light autumnal leafy tones, a little bit of ripe black raspberry and a ferrous hint of blood. The wine feels dry, supple and savory on the palate with a medium body and moderately ripe flavors of sweet red plums, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of juicy bilberries, light toasty oak tones, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of blackcurrant compote. Structurally the wine is very round and mellow, thanks to the modest medium acidity and very light, almost imperceptible tannins. The finish is soft, juicy and savory with a medium-long aftertaste of game and meaty umami, some saline notes, a little bit of ripe red plum and blueberry, light toasty oak nuances, a hint of blackcurrant and an autumnal touch of leafy forest floor.
A soft, mellow and harmless little red. Despite the blend, the wine has relatively little to do with Bordeaux reds - but the wine does show quite a bit of that savory, meaty quality so many Japanese red wines exhibit. I don't know where it comes, but apparently this wine couldn't escape it. With its very round and modest structure, I really don't see this wine really capable of much aging; I'd drink it sooner rather than later, as I doubt the wine is going to turn into anything more impressive with additional cellaring. A pleasant but quite ho-hum effort. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 20€.
(83 points) - 2017 Kizan Winery Merlot Art Label - Japan, Chūbu, Yamanashi (18.11.2024)
100% Merlot from Kōshū, Yamanashi. 12% alcohol.
Luminous, youthful ruby-red color. The clean nose feels a bit understated but quite attractive with nuanced, fresh aromas of redcurrants and fresh red plums, some cherry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light brambly raspberry notes and a hint of licorice. The wine feels silky, savory and moderately ripe on the palate with a medium body and dry flavors of dark fresh plums, some brambly black raspberries, light crunchy redcurrant tones, a little bit of licorice root, light woody notes of savory oak spice and a hint of red cherry. The medium acidity is a bit on the modest side, whereas the moderately ripe medium tannins lend some nice, welcome firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is quite long, savory and gently grippy with a dry aftertaste of redcurrants and red plums, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of licorice root and a hint of salt-cured meat.
A clean, pleasant and harmonious little Merlot. Doesn't show that much depth, intensity or character, but drinks effortlessly and shows nice sense of freshness. Furthermore, the wine comes across as surprisingly youthful for its 7 years of age, not really showing much tertiary qualities. An enjoyable everyday red, priced according to its quality at ¥3,300 (approx. 19€).
(87 points) - 2019 Says Farm Merlot - Japan, Chūbu, Toyama (18.11.2024)
100% Merlot from estate vineyards. Fermented spontaneously. 12% alcohol.
Deep, slightly translucent and somewhat evolved reddish-maroon color. The nose feels somewhat restrained, a bit wild and subtly dusty with aromas of brambly raspberries, some lifted floral notes, a little bit of crunchy crowberries, light salty nuances of oceanic air, a hint of fresh red berries and a touch of sauvage funk. The wine feels dry, crunchy and slightly wild on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of blueberries and elderberry juice, some astringent chokeberries, a little bit of toasty oak spice with an undertone of vanilla, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of ripe blackcurrant and a slightly volatile touch of floral lift. The wine shows good sense of balance and structure with its quite high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is dry, savory and somewhat grippy with a rather long aftertaste of crunchy crowberries and fresh blueberries, some savory meaty tones, a little bit of elderberry juice, light woody notes of savory oak spice, hints of vanilla and exotic spices and a touch of blood.
A balanced and relatively serious effort for a Japanese Merlot. Although it feels like the wine has attained sufficient ripeness just barely, it nevertheless manages to show good fruit intensity and pretty nice depth of flavor. There's certain sense of leanness that comes with the ripeness level that borders of under-ripeness, yet the wine doesn't show any kind of vegetal qualities or lack of flavor. It is obvious that the grapes have struggled to attain good sugar/acid ripeness, but they have been harvested late enough to develop their aromatics fully and lose any green nuances. I doubt the wine is going to develop much with additional age, but I guess it doesn't need to - it drinks really nicely right now. A nice, dry Merlot from the lighter, less ripe end of the spectrum. Drink now or over the next handful of years. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at approximately 30€, but not forbiddingly so.
(89 points) - 2019 Okutone Winery Pinot Noir I'm Nobuhill-703i - Japan, Kantō, Gunma (18.11.2024)
100% Pinot Noir from four estate vineyards next to the Okutone winery at the altitude of 700 m above sea level. Harvested on October 6th at the average Brix of 21. Fermented and macerated for 2 weeks. Aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. 12% alcohol.
Very pale, fully translucent and slightly hazy brick-orange color. The nose feels very smoky, noticeably reduced and a bit odd with aromas of gunpowder smoke, some resinous phenolic notes, a little bit of spicy Pinosity, light rowanberry tones, a hint of sandy soil and a faint grappa-ish touch of fusel alcohol. The fruit department feels rather thin and quite underwhelming. The wine feels dry, noticeably savory and moderately reductive on the palate with a light body and intense flavors of saddle leather and spicy Pinosity, some phenolic funk, a little bit of ripe redcurrant, light woody tones, hints of smoky reduction and tar and a touch of olive. The wine is high in acidity with very gentle and slightly grippy medium-minus tannins. The finish is long, very savory and slightly grippy with a rather intense aftertaste of funky game and meaty umami, some tar, light olive tones, a little bit of spicy Pinosity and tobacco, a hint of ripe redcurrant and a touch of gravelly minerality.
This was an odd bird. Even if Pinot Noir tends to be light in color, this wine looked more like an orange wine or an aged rosé rather than a red wine! Furthermore, in the nose and on the palate the wine showed very little typical Pinot Noir flavors - apart from that distinctive, spicy Pinosity - and the fruit department felt remarkably shy. With all its smoky and earthy flavors and nuances of olive, the wine felt more like a thin, barely ripe Syrah than anything even remotely similar to a Pinot Noir. But then again, the wine was pretty nice for such an atypical wine. It might not scratch any kind of Pinot Noir itch, but it was a fun little wine all the same. Priced more or less according to its quality at 22€.
(88 points) - 2021 Shinshu Takayama Winery Pinot Noir - Japan, Chūbu, Nagano (18.11.2024)
100% Pinot Noir from three different parcels in Takayama-mura, planted at the altitude of 650 m above sea level. Harvested in late September. 12% alcohol. Total production 2680 bottles.
Pale, slightly hazy brick-red color. Contrasting the appearance, the nose feels youthful, fresh and fragrant with attractive aromas of crunchy cranberries, some wild strawberries, light woody notes of cedar and dry bark, a reductive hint of rubber and a touch of earthy Pinosity. The wine feels silky and quite savory on the palate with a medium body and nuanced flavors of ripe cranberries, some umami note of meatiness and dashi, light wild strawberry tones, a little bit of licorice root, hints of cedar and dry old wood and a touch of game. The combination of high acidity and firm medium tannins keep the overall feel fresh, balanced and enjoyably structured. The finish is long, quite dry and gently grippy with a nuanced aftertaste of wild strawberries, some notes of meaty umami and savory dashi, a little bit of tobacco, light woody nuances, crunchy hints of redcurrants and ripe cranberries and a touch of licorice root.
A balanced and sophisticated Pinot Noir with a noticeably savory, meaty and very umami-rich flavor profile - a characteristic that seems to be very common in Japanese wines. Maybe lacking a bit substance and fruit in comparison to classic Burgundies or German Spätburgunders, but a very harmonious and thoroughly enjoyable effort all the same. I guess the wine both is true to the variety and shows good sense of place, if it tastes both like a Pinot Noir and a Japanese red wine! Good value at ¥3,300 (approx. 19€).
(91 points) - 2018 Kusunoki Winery Pinot Noir - Japan, Chūbu, Nagano (18.11.2024)
100% Pinot Noir from the northern part of Nagano. 11% alcohol.
Quite translucent and relatively pale maroon color with an almost colorless rim. The nose feels sweetish and quite noticeably lifted with a rather heady nose of nail polish remover, some raspberry jam, light notes of tobacco and a mineral hint of wet rocks. The wine feels moderately ripe and quite volatile on the palate with a medium body and rich flavors of black cherries and juicy raspberries, some nail polish, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light mineral notes of wet rocks and a savory hint of gamey meat. The overall feel is pretty firm and balanced with the rather high acidity and somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is quite long, slightly grippy and a bit unclean with a savory aftertaste of meaty umami, some earthy spice, a little bit of raspberry jam, light black cherry nuances, a lifted hint of nail polish and a touch of rustic funk.
I guess the wine could be pretty nice, as the fruit itself shows good balance between freshness, ripeness and structure (especially for the meager 11% ABV!). However, the overall feel is a bit too volatile for pleasure - this is somewhat drinkable, but the quite pronounced nail polish notes really do stick out - and the aftertaste shows a tiny bit of unclean funky qualities as well. The wine shows promise, but it feels like the producer still has a little bit work to do. Somewhat pricey for the quality at ¥3,300 (approx, 24€).
(82 points) - 2020 Funky Château Pinot Noir Black Label - Japan, Chūbu, Nagano (18.11.2024)
Confusingly the wine goes by the name "Black Label", even though the label is white - I guess the wine's name refers to the text (I've understood the "Pinot Noir" is written in red for the Pinot Noir Red Label). 100% organically farmed Pinot Noir, aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep, slightly translucent reddish color with an evolved auburn hue. The nose feels ripe, dark-toned and somewhat sweet with aromas of black cherries, some pipe tobacco, light toasty oak tones, a little bit of smoky reduction, a hint funky farmyard and a touch of earth. The wine feels silky and quite savory on the palate with a medium body and rather ripe yet still dry flavors of juicy dark and red plums, some loose tobacco, a little bit of strawberry. light brambly notes of black raspberries, wild hints of volatile lift and bretty funk and a touch of gamey meat. The wine is moderately high in acidity with gentle, mellow tannins. The finish is long, savory and gently grippy with a slightly sauvage aftertaste of dark and red plums, some tobacco, light bretty notes of leathery funk and smoky phenolics, a little bit of wood, a hint of game and a brambly touch of black raspberry.
A few people commented how they found the wine considerably funky with even a suggestion of mousiness in the aftertaste, whereas I found the wine pretty clean with a tiny bit of bretty funk, light lifted nuances of VA and not a trace of mousiness - not even after some airtime. Although not a wine to challenge Grand Cru Burgundies, this was still a very nice, balanced and thoroughly enjoyable effort and a very harmonious example of Nagano Pinot Noir. I know Funky Château wines can get quite wild and volatile, but to me, this was a well-crafted effort that drinks really well right now. It's hard to assess if the wine is going to improve from here, however - it's perfectly possible the wine is now at its best and it won't improve in quality with additional aging. Starting to feel a tad expensive for the quality at 41€, though.
(90 points) - 2014 Lumiere Muscat Bailey A Prestige Class - Japan, Chūbu, Yamanashi (18.11.2024)
100% Muscat Bailey A. 13% alcohol.
Deep, somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a pale rim - the wine doesn't look young nor particularly aged. The nose feels fragrant, characterful and somewhat sweetish with aromas of boysenberry juice, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of strawberry marshmallow, light sweeter nuances of blackcurrant juice and raspberry jam, a hint of earthy spices, a touch of crunchy blueberry and a whiff of gummy candies. The wine feels dry and savory on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite intense flavors of blueberries, some ripe boysenberries, a little bit of grape jelly, light candied notes of blackberry gummy candies, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is enjoyably firm and moderately structure-driven with its high acidity and somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is ripe yet dry and somewhat grippy with a long, savory aftertaste of blackberries and blackcurrant juice, some tobacco, light blueberry tones, a little bit of grape jelly, a hint of fresh blueberry and a touch of earthy spices.
A surprisingly firm, serious and vinous Muscat Bailey A. Usually this variety shows a bit more of its hybrid lineage with the sweet, not quite foxy aromatics, but here the only nuances that could point you in that direction were those subtle grape jelly nuances which might even escape you if you didn't taste the wine next to wines made from Vitis vinifera varieties. Holding remarkably well for a 10-yo MBA - I think this wine isn't on its plateau of maturity yet, but could actually go on evolving and improving for some years further. Easily among the best MBA wines I've tasted and terrific value at ¥2376 (approx. 19,50€).
(92 points) - 2021 Kisvin Winery Rubis - Japan, Chūbu, Yamanashi, Kōshū (18.11.2024)
A blend of Pinot Noir (67%) and Syrah (33%). 12,5% alcohol.
Deep yet relatively pale and noticeably translucent ruby-red color with a somewhat evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels fragrant, expressive and quite sweet-toned with ripe and slightly wild aromas of brambly black raspberries and wild strawberries, some vanilla and exotic spices, a little bit of fresh blackberry, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of stony minerality, a touch of fresh cherry and a whiff of beet. The wine feels juicy, dry and quite round on the palate with a medium body and rather umami driven flavors of ripe raspberries and wild strawberries, some vanilla oak, a little bit of brambly blackberry, light meaty tones, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of wild, slightly floral lift. The structure relies both on the slightly gentle medium-to-moderately high acidity and on the somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat grippy with a medium-long aftertaste of blackberries, some strawberries, light vanilla tones, a little bit of beet root, a hint of crunchy red plum and a touch of exotic spice.
At first this felt like a somewhat easy and round but otherwise quite nice little red wine. However, with some air the sweet vanilla oak tones started to gain some foothold and after awhile the wine felt somewhat too oaky for my taste. Not particularly toasty or woody - just showing way too much of that sweet, vanilla-driven spice. Without that, this would've been a pretty nice and balanced effort. Not really worth the price at ¥7,700 (approximately 47€).
(89 points) - 2021 Funky Château Sangiovese - Japan, Chūbu, Nagano (18.11.2024)
100% organically farmed Sangiovese, aged for 24 months in French oak barrels. Vinified and bottled without any SO2. 12,5% alcohol.
Pale, clear and fully translucent raspberry-red color with an almost colorless rim. The nose feels very wild, funky and lifted with aromas of cranberry-driven tart red berries, some brambly raspberry notes, a little bit of yard waste, light sharp acetic tone, a hint of sour cherry and a zesty touch of Seville orange. The wine feels silky, fruity and very wild on the palate with a light-to-medium body and crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries, some lifted floral tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light sharp acetic tones, a hint of nail polish VA and a touch of wild strawberry. The structure relies a bit more on the moderately grippy than on the somewhat soft medium-plus acidity. The finish is dry, gentle and somewhat grippy with a very wild and even a bit unclean aftertaste of brambly raspberries, some rough acetic tones, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light bitter notes of sour cherries, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of yard waste. A subtly earthy undertone lingers in the background, suggesting that the wine might turn mousy with extended air contact.
I really didn't detect much - if any - Sangiovese qualities here. Had I tasted the wine blind, I would've said it was a naturalist red from Loire - most likely from a cooler vintage, based on the rather light body, low alcohol and quite tart fruit profile. I must say the wine was too funky and - above all - too acetic for my taste. Too vinegary for pleasure. Not worth the ¥5,500 (approximately 35€).
(77 points) - 2017 Hojyo Winery Sakyu - Japan, Chūgoku, Tottori (18.11.2024)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The name Sakyū ("sand dunes") comes from the fact that the vines are grown on the sand dunes of Tottori. 12% alcohol.
Dark, slightly hazy blackish-red color with an evolved reddish-mahogany hue. The nose feels surprisingly Bordeaux-ish with aromas of ripe blackcurrants, some minty green notes, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light woody notes of pencil shavings, evolved hints of wizened dark berries and prunes, a touch of toasty oak spice and a whiff of leafy forest floor. A surprisingly serious and impressive overall impression from the get-go! The wine feels sinewy, savory and somewhat tough on the palate with a medium body and dry, somewhat aged flavors of tobacco and old leather, some wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light pruney nuances, an autumnal hint of leafy forest floor and a funky, subtly yeasty touch reminiscent of sake. The wine comes across as pretty structure-driven with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tough and grippy with a moderately long, savory aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of old leather, light savory notes of meaty umami, hints of prunes and wizened dark berries and a faint touch of leafy greenness.
A nuanced but also quite tough and structured wine that is quite reminiscent of old-school Bordeaux from a cooler vintage - the wine doesn't feel fully ripe, but it isn't under-ripe in any way, either. There is just relatively little fruit and body in relation to the ample structure of the wine - and seeing how the wine is starting to come across as fully mature and quite tertiary, I think the structure is going to outlive the wine. This is an enjoyable and pretty dead-serious wine, but while it may not be a crowdpleaser, it feels more like an actual, serious wine than a weird "Japanese wine". Good stuff, but needs food to tone down its structure and bring that fruit a little bit more to the fore. Good value at ¥3,600 (approximately 22€).
(90 points) - 2019 Takahata Winery Arkadia Select Harvest - Japan, Tōhoku, Yamagata (18.11.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (21%) and Petit Verdot (4%) harvested on October 31st, 2019. Fermented and macerated for 35 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged in oak barriques - the cuvée was made from 12 selected barriques (75% ie. 9 barrels were new). Bottled after 24 months of aging in oak. 14% alcohol and 6,6 g/l residual sugar.
Luminous, dark cherry-red color with a subtle brick-red hue. The nose feels ripe, lush and sweetish with aromas of strawberries and blueberries, some raspberry jam, light crunchy notes of fresh red plums, a little bit of vanilla oak and exotic spices, a hint of pipe tobacco, a woody touch of savory oak and a faint floral touch of violets. The wine feels dry, stern and moderately ripe on the palate with a full body and quite youthful flavors of fresh red plums and juicy blackcurrants, some toasty notes of chocolatey mocha character and sweet oak spice, a little bit of tart cranberry, light peppery tones, a brambly hint of black raspberries and a touch of stony minerality. The wine comes across as pretty angular and structure-driven with its high acidity and ample, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, long and grippy with an intense aftertaste of juicy red plums and black raspberries, some pipe tobacco, light vanilla tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, juicy hints of sweet bilberries and blackcurrants and a ferrous touch of blood.
A surprisingly ripe, stern and serious red that is very far removed from the often quite thin, tart and just barely ripe red wines that seem to represent a considerable majority of Japanese red wines made with French or international varieties. The wine doesn't really speak any sense of place, either. While very impressive, enjoyably fresh and wonderfully structure-driven, the overall feel is more of the anonymous modern red - the rather heavy-handed oak use obfuscates the finer nuances and the overall feel is dominated by the notes of vanilla and chocolatey nuances of toasty oak spice. At least with this much body, structure and flavor intensity, the wine should continue to age gracefully for many more years, so hopefully with enough time the wine might lose its glossy oak sheen and evolve into something more interesting. I'd say there's a lot of promise here, even if the wine doesn't manage to win me fully over now. Priced according to its quality at ¥5,976 (approximately 33€).
(91 points) - 2015 Grace Cuvée Misawa - Japan, Chūbu, Yamanashi, Akeno (18.11.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55,3%), Petit Verdot (27,8%) and Merlot (16,9%) from the Misawa vineyard, planted at the altitude of 700 m above sea level in Akeno, Yamanashi. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in French oak barriques for 15-18 months. Bottled in August 2017. 13,5% alcohol. Total production 3542 bottles.
Dense, deep and fully opaque mahogany color. The nose feels evolved, old and quite oxidative with aromas of raisins and meat stew, some autumnal notes of leafy forest floor, a little bit of sweet pruney fruit, light woody nuances and a hint of soy sauce. The wine feels old, dense and oxidative on the palate with a full body and quite tired, savory flavors of meat stew and tobacco, some pruney and raisiny tones, a little bit of soy sauce, light autumnal notes of leafy forest floor, a hint of minty greenness and a touch of meaty umami. The wine is moderately high in acidity with quite ripe medium tannins. The finish is long, savory and somewhat grippy with a rather tired aftertaste of tobacco and soy sauce, some meat stew, light woody nuances, a little bit of leafy and minty greenness, sweet hints of prunes and raisins and a touch of gamey meat.
Either this wine was premoxed, or then this wine was just not built to age - although the latter sounds a bit weird, considering this is the flagship red of Grace. I guess the wine might've been just aged in non-optimal conditions at some point? The wine did show good sense of finesse, but as the overall feel was so dominated by the oxidative qualities, it was nigh impossible to get a full picture of the wine. Such a bummer. This was 90€ down the drain.
(NR/flawed) - 2018 B\V vinařství Chardonnay Reserva Pozdní Sběr - Czech Republic, Moravia, Slovácká, Ratíškovice (18.11.2024)
100% late-harvested ("pozdní sběr") Chardonnay. Aged for 12 months in 3000-liter French oak barrels from Seguin Moreau. 13,5% alcohol. Lot number 1837.
Medium-deep golden yellow color with neon yellow-green highlights. The nose feels rich, sweet and very intense with somewhat evolved and quite overripe aromas of honeyed richness, some nuttiness, light sweet notes of rowanberry jam and overripe apples, a little bit of pear, a hint of greengage and a sawdusty touch of woody oak. The nose feels big and concentrated, but so over-the-top it starts to feel a bit off-putting. The wine feels very rich, oily and maybe a bit dull on the palate with a full body and bold flavors of mealy red apples and persimmon, some sawdusty notes of woody oak, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light nutty tones, mineral hints of salinity and wet rocks and a touch of overripe pear. The medium-plus acidity feels a bit insufficient for a wine this big and ripe. The finish is ripe, broad and quite long with a dry and waxy aftertaste of apple jam and overripe pear, some dull sawdusty notes of woody oak, a little bit of saline minerality, light creamy oak tones, a hint of persimmon and a touch of beeswax.
Although not a huge blockbuster, the wine still feels a bit too heavy and clumsy for my taste. The overall feel is dry - even though the fruit profile comes across as somewhat sweet and the level of alcohol feels quite moderate, but you can still taste the wine is made of grapes that have achieved not only full ripeness, but are already on overripeness, making the wine feel very intensely flavored, but also lacking in freshness and ultimately not that pleasant. An interesting wine for sure, but didn't really manage to win me over.
(81 points) - 2022 Wakaze The Classic Neo-Traditional Sake - France (18.11.2024)
A sake made with short-grained japonica rice from Camargues, water from Île-de-France, French wine yeast and koji grown by the brewer. To my understanding, the sake would qualify as a Junmai sake. Lot 2957, brewed in Paris in 2022. 13% alcohol, sweetness 2/5. Tasted blind.
Rather youthful whitish-green color with a faint, pale yellow hue. The sweet yet subtly grainy (rice-y?) nose is immediately identifiable as a sake, although the aroma profile is very unique for a sake: notes of bitter almond oil, some ripe white peach, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of nuttiness, a sweeter estery hint of pear jam, a touch of yeasty funk and a whiff of sweet oak spice. The sake feels dry-ish to off-dry, somewhat soft and slightly oily on the palate with a full body and nuanced flavors of sweet apple jam, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of nutty almond character, light yet perceptible notes of koji funk, a hint of white peach and a touch of alcohol warmth. Typical of sake, the acidity feels quite modest - especially after tasting a bunch of red wines. The finish is rich, round and medium-sweet with a rather long aftertaste of white peach, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of koji funk, light nutty notes of almond, a hint of bitter almond oil and a grainy hint of steamed rice.
When tasting blind, for some reason people started guessing some different off-dry white wine styles, but for me, this was obviously a sake from the get-go. I guess people aren't that familiar with sake, so they don't think of it automatically if one is poured blind in a wine tasting? Anyways, although I immediately identified this correctly as a sake, it still had some atypical qualities - like those subtle yet perceptible French oak nuances you normally wouldn't find in a sake. Additionally, I guess a wine yeast might've made the flavor profile a bit more similar to a white wine than your run-of-the-mill sake. This was a surprisingly serious, harmonious and characterful effort for a non-Japanese sake, definitely the best of that ilk that I've tasted! I guess the guys at Wakaze (who have trained in sake brewing in Japan) really know what they are doing. Recommended.
(91 points) - 1982 Vinhos Borges Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (18.11.2024)
20% alcohol.
Pale and moderately murky nutty brown color. The nose feels old, oxidative and quite Madeirized with aromas of roasted nuts and syrupy molasses, some butterscotch, light mahogany tones, a little bit of punsch or arrack, a hint of sweet raisiny fruit, a touch of old dusty wood and a faint lifted whiff of VA. The wine feels old, rich and sweet on the palate with a full body and quite tertiary flavors of oxidative nuttiness, some dried dates and Sultana raisins, a little bit of butterscotch, light mahogany tones, a hint of arrack punsch and a touch of VA. The medium acidity feels quite modest and a the light, fully resolved tannins don't really contribute much to the structure. The finish is sweet, a bit dull and subtly grippy with a long, slightly sticky aftertaste of molasses, some dried dates, a little bit of Sultana raisins, light caramel notes, a hint of chopped almonds and a touch of dusty old wood.
This is starting to get too old and oxidative. Stylistically this is getting closer to a Tawny Port than a Vintage Port, but it doesn't hold the energy and intensity of either one. I don't know if this was just an iffy bottle or if this vintage is already starting to go into decline, but I guess the wine is getting so past its peak it is best left unrated.
Posted from CellarTracker
This is certainly an interesting topic to discuss here as a Japanese winemaker. I hope this will answer your questions 