Monday, October 23, 2017

Marquis La Feuille Taru Kai Noir

I have not posted for a while, not because I follow Ocsober, but because I am in Japan and mainly drink Sake here. But there is, of course, a significant still wine industry here as well. The 2015 Marquis La Feuille Taru Kai Noir took my fancy, because I did not understand anything about the label.

When it comes to food and drink, the Japanese like to use French terms, as it is associated with quality. The winery is also known as Maruki Winery and is Japan's oldest, founded in 1891. La Feuille is a label. I have no idea what Taru stands for. Kai Noir is a Japanese grape variety, a crossing between Black Queen and Cabernet Sauvignon. Black Queen is a crossing itself, and it gets too complicated here for this blog. The grapes are quite large, with a thick skin and a low tannin structure. Quite the opposite to Cabernet Sauvignon, obviously.

This is a light to medium bodied wine , with a light Pinot Noir like colour 🍷 . The fragrant aromas are quite appealing and the wine is finely crafted. However, there is not much happening on the front palate. Black cherry describes it best. This wine does not have much body nor mouthfeel. It is growing towards the back palate with an attractive smooth finish. This wine goes well in support of many Japanese foods, even sushi or sashimi.

Score: 87/+