Kumamoto Wine Farm and Kikuka Winery is one of Japan's finest producers of Chardonnay wine.
Kumamoto Wine Farm works in partnership with around 30 winegrowers (covering a total of 9 hectares) to produce wine, specifically 90% Chardonnay.
Grapes are 100% produced in the Kikukka town. Vineyards are located in a basin area that offers an ideal environment for growing grapes: well ventilated, with over 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and good drainage thanks to the soil surface, which contains a lot of mountain sand. Plots are located at altitudes of 100 to 200 meters.
Although terrain is mainly flat, there are also terraced areas created by rivers, and region has some of the lowest water temperatures in Kumamoto Prefecture, which affects temperature differences and creates the terroir. Grapes are harvested by hand between late August and mid-September, and integration of grape compounds is controlled using a mechanical temperature control device. Production process involves destemming and crushing grapes and slowly pressing juice.
While partner farmers grow their grapes using the VSP system, they have adopted the pergola system for their own vineyards. Fermentation tanks and stainless steel presses at Kikuka Winery are compact in size as they produce wine in small batches for each type of grape. All alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation temperature is 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
After alcoholic fermentation, wine is selected by sensory testing for each tank and then transferred to French oak barrels. It is aged in barrels for about a year before being bottled. This Chardonnay is elegant and very aromatic, with hints of high-quality French oak and lots of ripe citrus fruits such as grapefruit and stone fruits such as apricot and peach (white peach and yellow peach).
It has lively acidity and strong minerality. Flavors are pleasantly concentrated with ripe citrus such as lemon with oil and zest. Oak aromas are very well integrated with notes of white spices and vanilla, toasted nuts, and butter, which add to complexity. The finish is persistent and quite long. The round, rich flavor delicately coats the entire palate. Soft acidity gives it a firm structure, and it has a long, persistent aftertaste that is powerful yet beautiful and elegant.
Viscosity is strong and slightly aging. This is a classic, very well-made woody Chardonnay. It will be interesting to observe its evolution over the years in the cellar.