The wine estate Kumamoto Wine Farm and Kikuka Winery is one of the best producers of Chardonnay wine from Japan. Kumamoto Wine Farm works in partnership with thirty winemakers (9 ha in total) to produce wine, more specifically 90% of Chardonnay.
The grapes are 100% produced in the city of Kikuka. The vineyards are located in a basin area offering an environment conducive to the cultivation of the vine: well ventilated, with more than 2,000 hours of sunshine a year and a good drainage thanks to the surface of the ground which contains a lot of mountain sand.
The plots are located at 100 to 200 meters altitudes. Although the ground is essentially flat, there are also terraced areas created by the rivers, and the region has some of the lowest water temperatures of Kumamoto Prefecture, which affects differences in temperature and creates the terroir.
2019 was a difficult year with a lot of rain during the harvest, but from 2020, the weather was favorable, especially in 2022, where there was little rain in mid-August during the harvests and where very good grapes were harvested. The domain, for this new Cru, used 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in Kikuka-cho, in the city of Yamaga, located 30 km north of the city of Kumamoto.
The harvest period extends from the end of August to early September, and the grapes are harvested according to their maturity. After fermentation between 15 ℃ and 20 ℃, the grapes are selected by sensory tests in each tank and transferred to French oak barrels. The grapes are concentrated thanks to favorable sunshine and cold climate, which gives a rich fruity Chardonnay, well balanced by acidity, and the aroma end of barrel.
It is a dry white wine with creamy taste. It is recommended with pork, cream pasta, etc. The recommended operating temperature is 14-16 degrees Celsius, not too cold, and you have to taste it in a large glass.
