Grace Wines

 Last year I reported in detail on the line-up of perhaps the finest Japanese winery, Grace Wines. The tasting this year was a bit more limited, and in some ways, certainly with white wines, is a bit more of the same.

Koshu is the indigenous white wine variety of Japan. These wines are characterized by their transparent colour, citrus flavour, some fruitiness, but also quite a lean mouthfeel, perfect to accompany Sushi. The first wine I tasted was the 2022 Gris de Koshu. This is the entry level wine, if you will. It is crispy, showing citrus fruit, and some residual sugar (88 points). This was followed by the 2022 Kayagatake Koshu, equivalent to a village wine. This wine is quite an improvement on the 2021 tasted last year. The citrus flavours are dry and quite mineral. I really liked this wine (92 points). Then we come to the Grace Koshu wines, the blended Estate wines. The 2022 was paired up with wines from 2012 and 2013. The 2013 Grace Koshu is still pale in colour, with a slightly fuller mouthfeel than the current version, but still fresh. This is a more complete and satisfying version than the current vintage (94 points). The 2012 Grace Koshu is more developed. Some nutty flavours emerge, similar to a matured Hunter Valley Semillon (93 points).

The single vineyard wines are the 2022 Hishiyama Vineyard Koshu. This vineyard is situated at an altitude of 550m, whereas the previous wines  come from vineyards of 300-400m altitude. This translates into more fruit concentration, while still retaining quite a delicate mouthfeel (94 points). I then tasted two 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Koshu wines. I reported on these priviously. The Reserve wine is the only Koshu which sees some barrel fermentation.

The red wines were again quite interesting. The 2021 Yamanashi Rouge is based on the Japanese grape Muscat Bailey. This wine is a big improvement on the previous year. It s a light wine of predominantly raspberry flavour with excellent length. It would give some Beaujolais a run for its money (92 points). The 2013 Kayagatake Red showed a similar profile with still excellent freshness (93 points).  

I finished up with the 2020 Akeno Rouge. This is a blend dominated by Merlot, and including Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux varieties do not ripen easily in this area, with Merlot being the best. The wine has pleasant depth, with a focus on elegance (92 points).

If you like delicate and elegant wines, Grace Wines are for you.

  

Grace Wines Tasting, Part 2

 In Japan, observing tradition is very important. So the wines in my last post were essentially fashioned by the grandfather of current winemaker Ayana Misawa. However, Ayana also spent three years in Bordeaux, and was therefore interested to take her learnings back to Japan and try new things. The oak treatment of the Private Reserve, mentioned in the last post, was the first step, but it did not stop there.

Enter the Misawa vineyard at Akeno. This vineyard is situated at an altitude of 700m, based on volcanic soil. Grapes are trained along rows using single and double guyot, not common in Japan.

The 2015 Akeno Vineyard Misawa Koshu benefits from the lower yield at this altitude. The wine is more intense than the other Koshus and white pepper is a feature. I tasted similarity to Gruner Veltliner (94 points). Later she discovered that grapes from this vineyard include a different acid, rare in Japan, which is very helpful for malolactic fermentation. As a result, the 2020 Misawa Koshu is the first Koshu undergoing malolactic fermentation, based on indigenous yeast, and again it sees seasoned oak. The wine is still citrus dominant, but is more complex, with oak flavours and minerality rounding out the picture. This is clearly the most interesting Koshu of the tasting (95 points).

Grace Wines also make Chardonnay from this vineyard. I find the 2019 Misawa Chardonnay quite pure, but a little broad (92 points). The 2020 comes from a warmer vintage. It is a more generous wine with tropical flavours (92 points). Generally, I do not believe these wines hold a lot of special interest overseas.

Then we come to the reds. The 2020 Yamanashi Rouge is based on the Japanese grape Muscat Bailey. The wine is quite fruity and a bit confected (87 points). More interesting are the two Bordeaux blends, which come from the Misawa vineyard. The 2019 Akeno Rouge is Merlot dominant, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Merlot ripens easier at this altitude than Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has a long maturation period to achieve ripeness. It is very elegant and enjoyable, but not very concentrated. The Merlot delivers a velvety character to the wine (92 points). And then we get to the 2019 Misawa Rouge. This is a world class wine. Cabernet Franc is the dominant grape (60%), followed by Petit Verdot (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). This wine is still tight, but shows excellent red fruit intensity with an elegant mouthfeel. Spice and oak flavours deliver complexity, but it is the fruit which makes this wine special. In a blind tasting, you would never pick this as a wine from Japan; but you have to pay $200 per bottle for the privilege (95/+++ points). 

It was an excellent experience to taste the full range of Grace Wines. I think there is something here for everybody. 

  

 

Grace Wines Tasting, Part 1

 Grace Wines is a Japanese family business which celebrates 100 years this year. I had an opportunity to taste the full range with Ayana Misawa, the 5th generation winemaker. In this first part, I will review the classic range of Koshu wines grown in the hilly Katsunuma district of Yamanashi, north of Mt. Fuji. Koshu was first cultivated in the Caucasus region more than 1000 years ago and brought to Japan via the Silk Road. Today, it is Japan's signature grape variety.  

The best way to think about the traditional Grace Koshu wines is that there are three varietal wines and two single vineyard wines. I will report on them in the order of the tasting, which was perhaps not ideal. The first was the 2021 Koshu Kayagatake. This is a blended wine from vineyards in the Mt. Kayagatake region. The soil is volcanic. This is a very light and delicate wine, but it lacks of the precision of the later wines (89 points).  

This was followed by the 2021 Grace Koshu. This is the village wine from Katsunuma Village and the standard bearer of Grace Wines. The soil here is predominantly clay with sand. The delicate flavours include white flowers, white peach, and grapefruit. There is more intensity here than in the first wine, and the supple acidity keeps it fresh (91 points). This was matched with the 2012 Grace Koshu. This wine had a golden colour, but it was still fresh with some toasty notes added. There was a little sweetness on the finish. This wine reminded me of a maturing Hunter Valley Semillon (93 points). 

The 2021 Gris de Koshu should perhaps have been the first wine. However, the 4g of residual sugar made it more aromatic and moved it down the tasting order. The Gris is another regional wine. It is a little broader and has a bit of a jammy character (88 points).

The first of the single vineyard wines, the 2021 Hishiyama Vineyard Koshu, comes from a vineyard at 550m, while most of the fruit for the wines above comes from vineyards of 300-400m altitude. This means lower yield, and increased drainage from the granite floor. These terroir features are well translated into the wine. There is some smokiness on the nose, in addition to white flower. The wine has more drive and energy. Earthy notes and minerality on the finish add complexity to the still delicate fruit flavours. I liked this wine a lot (94/+++ points). 

The 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Koshu from a nearby vineyard is more south facing. It has particularly long sunshine hours, but also significant diurnal temperature differences. The soil here is clay, gravel, and some slate. This is a riper wine with a bigger mouthfeel, good intensity, but still in the 'delicate' space (92 points).

Then there is the 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Private Reserve from a special block of this vineyard. This wine is riper and displays tropical fruits; melon, yellow peach and papaya. This is the first Koshu which sees oak, three months of seasoned oak. It works well (94 points).

In part 2, I will describe wines which are less standard or expected, some are revelations. But for now, are Grace Wines the most delicate in the world? I think they are, in my experience.   

Grace Kayagatake Koshu

 When thinking about Japan, and its wine in particular, freshness and purity of fruit is top of mind. On that basis, I enjoyed the Grace Kayagatake Koshu in the past. This is an entry level wine from a vineyard at the bottom of the Kayagatake mountain.

I am a bit disappointed with the 2021 Grace Kayagatake Koshu. Yes, it is clean and pure, but it lacks the precision and definition of some previous years. This is a light coloured wine, with white flower, citrus, and some slight grapefruit flavours. It goes well with Sashimi and Sushi. I recommend to drink the wine fridge cold to eliminate some of the rather plump structure.

Score: 87/0

Grace Kayagatake Koshu

 When it comes to alternative varieties, most people think of wines from the Mediterranean; Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece even. Close to the top of my list is Koshu, Japan's indigenous grape variety. The Grace Winery is one of Japan's best with a variety of wines. This review is of a single vineyard wine, the 2019 Grace Kayagatake Koshu.

The wine has a light and bright colour. Citrus and minerality dominate, but the main impression is the purity of the fruit. Medium acidity delivers good energy of this balanced wine. The closest would be a light Chablis. This relatively low alcohol wine (11.5%) is delightful to drink.

Isn't it interesting how indigenous wine often matches the food in the country perfectly, for example Chianti and Pizza or northern Italian food and Nebbiolo. This wine is perfect with raw fish, sashimi or sushi.

Score: 93/+++

 

Grace Wine Koshu

Grace was founded in 1923 and is one of Japan's top three wineries, all located in Yamanachi province. It focuses, but not exclusively, on the indigenous Koshu grape, a hybrid between a European vitis and one from the Caucasus, brought to Japan more than 1000 years ago. 

This 2015 Grace Kayagatake Koshu is its village wine in the hierarchy, emulating the Burgundy logic. The colour of the wine, even though five years old, is very pale.

The nose is delicate, smelling of white flower perfume, green apple, citrus, and a hint of cinnamon.

The palate is delicate as well. Lime and apple flavours are accompanied by slight spice, and a certain flintyness. This is a light wine, at 11.5% alcohol, but it has medium acidity,  good linearity and a decent finish - a perfect wine for Japanese fish dishes, raw as well as cooked.

Score: 91/++    

Grace Wine

This is the first time I experienced wine (other than Sake) from Japan. Grace Wine is perhaps the most reputable of the over 200 Japanese wineries. It started in 1923 and is now fronted by young 5th generation winemaker Ayana Misana.

The signature indigenous grape is Koshu. The 2014 Grace Kayagatake wine is the 100% free run entry wine. It is transparent, light, relatively low alcohol, very pure and delicate, tasting of white flower and a little citrus (90 points).

The most serious wine in the line-up of about seven wines is the 2012 Grace Toriibira Vineyard Koshu. It is a single 1.6 ha vineyard wine from a high altitude property (450 metres)  with clay and volcanic soils. The wine is clear and very pure, with flower aromas and minerality on the palate. There is some length on the finish. If you wanted to make a comparison, this would have some similarity to a good Pinot Grigio (92 points).

If you have ever seen the fruit displays in Japanese stores, you will appreciate the care that would be taken in the sorting process. Not one bad berry would ever enter the tanks.

I find it interesting how local wines often are the perfect fit for the local cuisine, think Sangiovese and pizza, or Bordeaux and red meat. Koshu is absolutely ideal with sushi.