Mongaku Valley 2024 -tochi- 12.5%, 750ml

83,00 €

110,67 € / L

an expertly crafted blend
a delicious wine from a disciple of Takahiko Soda of Domaine Takahiko
a quality natural wine

Mongaku Valley 2024 is a dry white wine and a typically ‘Mongaku Valley’ vintage, characterised by the lively, airy acidity of cool-climate regions. Fresh and vibrant on the first sip, it then reveals a delicate complexity, with toasted notes and a maturity reminiscent of fine Champagnes.

A word from Olivier, founder and sourcer

I love its apricot and citrus notes and enjoy drinking it with seafood

テイスティングのヒント

Tasting notes

Perfect pairings

Food and wine pairings are a fascinating subject. When it comes to acidity, for example, there is a distinction between a ‘harmonious pairing’, where acidity is present in an ingredient or sauce (the dish itself), and a ‘complementary pairing’, where an acidic wine is matched with a dish that is not acidic… Individual pairing preferences vary considerably, but in the winemaker’s experience so far, ingredients and sauces (seasonings) with a certain degree of umami and acidity, along with a little complexity, seem to pair particularly well with Mongaku Valley wines. Easy to pair, this wine should gently complement a wide range of dishes while allowing a touch of seasonal and regional character to shine through.

Food pairings:
*Seafood such as scallops, prawns and oysters
*Complex, nuanced dishes featuring an appealing variety of seasonal ingredients and bringing out the delicate flavours of sauces and broths
*Bitter foods such as wild plants, vegetables, fish, pork and offal
*Herbs that enhance the flavour of ingredients, such as garlic
*Vegetables such as tomatoes and mushrooms, which have considerable umami potential
*For seasoning: spicy olive oil, mineral-rich rock salt and fermented condiments that enhance the flavour of ingredients, such as soy sauce.

Tasting notes

This dry, medium-bodied wine offers a delicate bouquet of apricot, citrus and stewed pear, complemented by notes of herbs, nuts, wood and a hint of iodine. On the palate, a pleasant bitterness harmonises with spicy notes, a touch of salinity and crystal-clear acidity, leading to savoury umami reminiscent of dashi and a subtle tannic grip from the dark-skinned grapes. With a complexity and maturity reminiscent of fine aged Champagne, it has a remarkably long finish. This wine is best enjoyed in a large wine glass at cellar temperature. This sulphite-free wine is expected to reach its peak of balance and harmony after three to five years of bottle ageing.

Description

Mongaku Valley Winery is a family-run winery founded by Mr Shigeki Kihara in 2012.
The estate sits on a hill 130 metres above sea level, overlooking the ocean and mountains, around 5 km from Ishikari Bay.
The estate grows seven grape varieties in its own 2.2 ha vineyard: Chardonnay / Pinot Noir / Pinotage / Pinot Gris / Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Blanc / Gewurztraminer.

The 2024 season began with early budbreak, as the gentle warmth of the early spring sunshine accelerated the snowmelt.
Compared with the previous year, nights remained cooler, giving way to an invigorating summer that, for the first time in many years, brought back the distinctive atmosphere of ‘Yoichi’. As a result, the season ended with a beautiful expression of the character typical of this cool-climate terroir

The 2024 vintage has an alcohol content of around 12.5%, bringing it stylistically close to the 2020 vintage. In response to the recent trend towards higher alcohol levels caused by global warming, the winemaker took strategic measures that allowed him to harvest at precisely the time he had planned.

In winemaking, the estate maintained its characteristic ‘minimal intervention’ approach, using mainly stainless steel tanks for both fermentation and ageing. For the first time in several seasons, however, it introduced a very subtle touch of micro-oxygenation. Despite this minor adjustment, it remained true to its straightforward approach; the resulting wine expresses its cool-climate identity with a supple, rounded palate. Ageing in stainless steel tanks has produced a very dry white wine that combines freshness with a Jura-like character, marked by a pleasant bitterness and complex nuances.

Mongaku’s experiment with no added sulphites began in 2020, and since 2022 the estate has produced all its cuvées without added sulphites for three consecutive seasons. While reducing sulphites seems to allow the wine to ‘open up’ sooner than in previous years, its long-term ageing potential remains a fascinating question. To reveal its full balance, harmony and depth, winemaker Kihara-san recommends ageing it for at least 2 to 3 years — although 5 years of maturation can bring about a truly remarkable transformation. The winemaker invites you to follow how this unique vintage evolves over time.

Characteristics

Category: dry white wine
Appearance: pale gold with a transparent reddish tint
Ideally stored in a cellar at 14°C
ALCOHOL ABUSE IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH. DRINK IN MODERATION. DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY, EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS, CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH. THE SALE OF ALCOHOL TO UNDER-18S IS PROHIBITED

Production notes

Winery: Mongaku Valley Winery
Location: 1982-1 Noboricho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi district, Hokkaido
Quantity produced: not specified
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Bottle colour: Dark
Ingredients: grapes
Grape varieties: 64％ Pinot Noir, 23% Pinotage, 5% Pinot Gris, 4% Chardonnay, 4% Sauvignon Blanc and others.
Origin of grapes: Yoichi, Hokkaido
Yeast type: Wild yeast
Fermentation process: stainless steel tanks, 1 month
Filtration method: Unfiltered, unfined
Ageing: 10 months
Maturation:
Vineyard: estate-owned
Altitude: 130-140 m
Slope aspect: gentle slope facing slightly north of east
Latitude: 43°
Annual sunshine (hours): 1567.5 hours
Climate: Cool maritime
Average annual temperature: 9.4 ℃
Average annual rainfall: 1290 mm
Soil type: Volcanic clay soil
Average vine age: 12 years
Training system: Vertical shoot positioning
Harvesting method: By hand
Harvest year: 2024

Ingredients & nutritional values

Ingredients: grapes
Grape varieties: 64％ Pinot Noir, 23% Pinotage, 5% Pinot Gris, 4% Chardonnay, 4% Sauvignon Blanc and others.

Origin

Origin: Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan
Producer: MONGAKU VALLEY

MONGAKU VALLEY

A specialist in blended wines

Founded: 2018
Location: 1982-1 Noboricho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi District, Hokkaido
Owner: Shigeki Kihara
Production volume: 12,000 bottles
Number of employees: 3
Activity: Vine growing, winemaking, wine sales

THE ESTATE

Mongaku Valley Winery is a family-run wine estate founded by Mr Shigeki Kihara in 2012.
The estate is located on a hill at an altitude of 130 metres, overlooking the ocean and mountains, around 5 km from Ishikari Bay.
This artisanal winery is partially underground and built of stone, created by moving and remodelling a warehouse over 100 years old that was made from soft Sapporo stone.
It grows 7 different grape varieties in its own vineyard (2.2 ha): Chardonnay / Pinot Noir / Pinotage / Pinot Gris / Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot White / Gewurztraminer.

Japanese cuisine, which offers deep flavours by combining Dashi (stock), gave him the idea of "Field Blend / Co-fermentation". When there is fog in the vineyards and the grapes are affected by noble rot, he tastes each variety and each bunch of grapes and co-ferments them.

The pressed grapes are given to the farm animals and the compost is used for the soil. Resource-recycling agriculture is the goal he has set himself. He pays particular attention to fertilisers, some of which are made from sea urchin shells sourced from local fishermen.
Using wild yeasts, without filtration or fining, he seeks to produce a naturally flavoured wine in keeping with the image of "the acidity typical of cooler regions", "balanced bitterness" and "complex aroma".
The pressing machine is on the ground floor and the tanks are on the partially underground level; the grape juice is transferred by gravity. Currently, Mongaku Valley Winery produces only white wine, but producing an authentic sparkling wine is one of its future goals.

THE STORY

In 2011, Shigeki Kihara, owner of Mongaku Valley Winery, moved from Tokyo to Yoichi, Hokkaido, with his family, wishing to practise recycling-focused agriculture where people and nature coexist.
They then acquired an 11-hectare plot of land that originally belonged to a whisky company. It was completely fallow, having been abandoned for 15 years. It took a whole year to turn it into a decent place for cultivation.
Finally, in 2012, they began planting 1,500 grapevines. For three years, following their first harvest in 2015, he studied with Bruce Gutlove of "10R Winery", a contract pressing winery, and learned about cultivation and winemaking before opening Mongaku Valley Winery in 2018.
Just as every wine has its own personality, every tree has its own.
In accordance with the Japanese tradition of naming places and people after trees and other natural objects, he named his wines after "trees". The wine label comes from a drawing by his daughter depicting the world of a Japanese storybook entitled "The Tree of Courage".