On first tasting, you may notice a pronounced note of ethyl acetate, but with time this should develop into a more harmonious and pleasant aroma. To capture the character of Pinot Noir grown in the cool climate of Yoichi on the island of Hokkaido, winemaker Mr. Yamanaka wanted to create a wine with notes of umeboshi (pickled plum) and shiso (perilla leaf).
This red wine, pale garnet in color, light and dry, offers an expressive nose of red fruits, wild berries, dark red cherries with floral notes, hints of white spices (cinnamon) and wood.
We appreciate the good minerality and acidity, as well as the silky tannins. On the palate, umami dominates, with good volume, minerality, and aromatic intensity. Light, but persistent through to the mellow finish.
Pale garnet color. Pairings: veal sauté, roast poultry, venison, wild mushrooms Ideally, we recommend aging for at least three years before opening. Facing east, from sunrise onwards, the sun shines through the 1.5-hectare vineyard of Domaine Mont, in a privileged environment where the grapes are grown with good ventilation and drainage.
Because the temperature rarely exceeds 30 degrees during the day and drops below 20 degrees at night, this gives the vineyard efficient photosynthesis and, as a result, moderate acidity in the wine that tends to linger and a sugar content that tends to increase. The accumulated temperature in Yoichi is similar to that of northern Burgundy and Alsace.
Mr. Yamanaka, the owner of the estate, avoids using pesticides as much as possible, especially insecticides, as he respects insects as carriers of wild yeasts. Due to the nature of his license, he can only use grapes grown in the region.
As for the winemaking method, he chooses to use wild yeast rather than dry yeast to speed up fermentation. He believes it is better to let the various microorganisms work slowly and create a delicate yet complex aroma. Born and raised in a family of Japanese tea merchants, he truly learned the “umami, bitterness, and delicacy” of Japanese tea, and today he strives to express that flavor. Today, he strives to express this “Japanese-ness” in his wine. This wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the Aki (AK) vineyard, a long-established farm in Nobori, in the town of Yoichi.
After harvesting, the whole bunches were gently macerated in vats for about four weeks before being punched down and pressed. Starting with the 2023 vintage, the estate has been punching down the cap more thoroughly, which has allowed for more extraction and a more classic Pinot Noir style than previous vintages.
This wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels from the Taransaud cooperage. It is unfiltered, unfined, and has no added sulfites.
