Japan has always had a particular knack for creating emblems that command the utmost reverence, often even of mythical proportions - and as powerful as that may be, even that nihon magic has its limits. Try as it might, the one produce that Japan has by and large never found sustained success with is its wines.

"During my childhood, the Japanese wine industry rarely produced wines from wine-specific grape varieties. Instead, it was an era when table grapes, primarily intended for eating, were the main “winemaking material”. The goal of wine production at the time was to create souvenirs for the region's visitors, relying more on cellar techniques than on the quality of the grapes." says Yoichi, Hokkaido-based cult winemaker Takahiko Soga, continuing on to describe Japanese wines of just two decades ago as either "pasteurized expressions that still pervade the gift-giving culture" or bland and boring interpretations of European styles that were again focused more so on appearing Japanese-y so as to pander to foreigners who would purchase them as exotic gifts from their travels in Japan. In fact, Soga lets on to a widely known yet unspoken industry secret - most of these wines aren't even made with grapes grown in Japan! They're often imported to the country in some form or the other of grapes, musts or concentrate that are then processed and bottled for sale.

 

Japan's Koshu grapes.

 

That's not to say that Japan had no presence of actual winegrowing effort - Yamanashi, often called the "fruit kingdom" of Japan, serves as the country's bedrock to winegrowing, by and large dominated by bigger corporations that produce everything from sodas to fruit juices, sakes to shochus, whiskies to wines, and everything you can imagine in between. Yet even the wines here too seemed to find difficulty in gaining a serious foothold, wedged unfortunately between the trifecta of culturally entrenched emphasis on cultivating what is in fact a hybrid variety, Koshu (which produces lighter, more delicate, lower alcohol wines, but are also more reliably cultivated in Japan's rainy weather, being better adapted to the climate and are also more disease resistant), as opposed to the winemaking standard of vitis vinifera (think Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot's and the sort), the adverse climate marked by humidity, high rainfall and even proneness to typhoons, and finally the sheer lack of labour as a result of a multi-decade decline in birthrates, with many of the younger generation preferring life in the city. Whilst a handful of winemakers have made incredible pushes in raising the quality of Koshu wines, the inherent disadvantages still make them a tough sell on the global stage. Nevertheless, the allure of the possibility of breaking the mould has never been more intense.

Yet, as global weather patterns continue to evolve, the biggest stories in the wine world today are that of the new wine regions that have begun to be uncovered - areas that were once thought impossible to grow wines, have now proven themselves not just feasible but even potentially ideal.

 

Yoichi Town, of mountains and waves.

 

And that brings us to Yoichi Town, Hokkaido, at the very north of Japan.

Nevertheless this enlightenment of sorts didn't take happen overnight. As winemaking slowly gained ground in Japan, aspiring winemakers would begin looking for new areas that might provide for a more conducive environment, first taking root in the high altitude mountainous terrains of the Japanese Alps in Nagano - this time with a focus on international varietals - and as time went on, regions like the Yamagata and Osaka prefectures were also increasingly explored. It was thus in adjacent Tochigi Prefecture that Takahiko Soga, and his mentor, Bruce Gutlove, had found first whiff of this new frontier right in their own backyard. 

"There will come a time when this practice will be considered wrong. I will spend the next ten years changing this practice and make wine using 100 percent grapes that have been produced in Japan." - Bruce Gutlove on the common practice of Japanese wines being made from imported foreign fruit.

 

Bruce Gutlove.

 

Soga had come from a winemaking family who had managed the Obuse Winery in Nagano Prefecture, and was thus encouraged by his parents to study oenology and later microbiology at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, where thereafter he had spent several years working with one of his professors at a research lab. A chance encounter with American-born Bruce Gutlove (who had grew a passion for wines during his time in college, and would later study oenology at the famous UC Davis, before eventually apprenticing at top Californian wineries and later moving to Japan to work for Coco Farm), often called the Godfather of Japanese winemaking, would convince Soga to immediately drop everything and join him in 1998 at the Coco Farm Winery in Tochigi. Gutlove had put forth a compelling argument for working towards a not so distant future where Japanese wines would actually be made in Japan, and not simply imported from outside the country and passed off as local produce. Whilst Soga had always desired the opportunity to study abroad, he had found this new perspective put forth by Gutlove refreshing, bold and most importantly setting course for the right direction into the future for Japan's winemaking, and so Soga would decide that perhaps time spent under the American winemaker would be just as insightful without having to leave the country. Soga would go on to spend the next decade under the helm of Gutlove, serving as the farm manager for Coco Farm.

And thus in their quest to make wines that were 100% of local grapes, the duo would travel all across Japan, visiting vineyard after vineyard, until they had in the early 2000's come across grapes from Hokkaido. “To be honest, I had very low expectations for Hokkaido grapes, so I really underestimated them. I was surprised to find such high quality, both for eating and winemaking. It was such a surprise that I wondered what we had been thinking all this time” says Soga. As it turns out, Yoichi was in fact the largest producer in Japan of winemaking vitis vinifera grapes (having started its cultivation in 1984) - and yet this was hardly recognised or well known! Where high rainfall, heat or humidity would often deter the cultivation of vitis vinifera varietals, Hokkaido would prove uniquely suitable, even with minimal intervention. And yet despite its sizeable cultivation of winemaking grapes, there was but just one winery in Yoichi at the time, with the majority of the grapes shipped off to other prefectures where they were simply sold for personal consumption or blended in with grapes from elsewhere by major commercial wineries with little disclosure or singling out of the use of Yoichi grapes, thereby keeping the region's winemaking prowess largely unknown.

 

Coco Farm Winery in Tochigi.

 

The pair would thus begin a long term contract with the Nakazawa Vineyard in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, in the pursuit and eventual achievement of their goal to produce wines that were 100% of Japanese grown fruit. Yet it was in those 10 years at Coco Farm under the guidance of Gutlove that Soga would develop his own perspective on the wines he would eventually come to himself produce.

"From the perspective of a viticulturist and winemaker—not that of a sommelier—I learned to seriously taste wines that were popular or considered delicious worldwide, as well as wines we could use as references for our own winemaking. To facilitate learning, Bruce collected information from global blogs, chats, and wine magazines. He organized weekly tasting sessions from 5 PM to 8 PM. These tastings included many wines Bruce had collected since his student days. Significant amounts of money (covered by the company) were spent to conduct blind tastings. We discussed, “Why is this wine the way it is?” and worked tirelessly to discover the direction we wanted to take and what we wanted to create. This effort formed the foundation of my winemaking philosophy. I believe that Bruce, too, was searching for an unseen future through these tastings, together with us. Neither Bruce nor I studied viticulture at university, despite studying winemaking." reflected Soga in an interview with Nestarec.

 

A palette of influences. (Clockwise; From Top Left) Farming at the Nakazawa Vineyard in Hokkaido; Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka; the Father of Biodynamic Farming Nicolas Joly; and Jura legend Pierre Overnoy and his successor Emmanuel.

  

This combined with Soga's own experiences growing up having witnessed first hand the financial pressures of operating a small winery and the difficulties in distributing and selling wines that often led to farmers diversifying their odds by growing any number of a range of different agricultural produce with little focus, along with his later encounters with various central pioneering figures in the practice of natural winemaking, from having attended a biodynamic seminar by Nicolas Joly, to learning the teachings of Japanese philosopher-farmer Masanobu Fukuoka, as well as his visits to the Loire Valley in France that put him in contact with the likes of Marc Angeli and Thierry Puzelat, and finally it all culminating with a tasting of Jura legend Pierre Overnoy's Ploussard, all of which came together to shape Soga's winemaking philosophy.

Having thus spent a decade to achieving his goal of helping to transition Coco Farm's winemaking to utilising 100% Japan cultivated grapes, Soga was now ready to set out on his own, settling on Yoichi as his new home in 2010 - Gutlove himself would establish his own winery, 10R Winery, in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, just a year prior in 2009.

 

Soga in his vineyards.

 

Given his formative experiences working with grapes from Yoichi, and having surveyed numerous potential vineyard sites around Japan, Soga had ultimately decided that nowhere else could he achieve the same level of consistency of high quality vitis vinifera grapes. The area is of course supported by a conducive climate marked by lower rainfall and warmer temperatures (as compared to Japan in broad, as well as more narrowly within the Hokkaido Prefecture), where surrounding mountains are also able to shield the vineyards from the incoming sea breeze and strong winds that protect against diseases, with also heavy, powdery snowfall (instead of high moisture wet snow that melts quickly) that is able to withstand melting for longer and "like an igloo" helps to deter frost damage when vines stay buried under the snow. Where decades prior it was deemed impossible to grow vitis vinifera varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the effect of global warming has since allowed these winemaking grapes to now reliably ripen. The soils here are characterised by volcanic clay with weathered gravel and sand that allows for good drainage, which is critical for Soga who believes that widespread industry practices such as drip irrigation creates uniformity and allows for mechanisation, which is destructive to terroir expression. 

"Wine made using the drip irrigation method has a very strong flavor. It is very rich. Although this flavor is straightforwardly enjoyable, it also gets boring quickly. It has promoted a wine that is like pork ramen to be available all around the world.” says Soga. 

 

 

Furthermore, a particular more intangible quality that attracted Soga to Yoichi was the presence of a strong farming community (with many farmers each owning small parcels), which had developed over decades given the area's long history of agricultural farming, which Soga believes has created a wealth of accumulated wisdom tailored to clinching grape cultivation in the area. With land prices in Hokkaido still relatively cheap, this has also allowed for Soga to acquire sufficient land to achieve at least some scale, yet not significantly sizeable where a single winegrower cannot individually manage the vineyard and winery themselves.

“There is a good reason why this region is used for farming. When people in the past planted fruit trees and found that it produced well, other people started planting fruit trees as well. As the production area expanded and people worked hard to maintain their fields and improve their methods, the region established itself. In Nagano and Yamanashi, large corporations have been in charge of teaching farmers how to cultivate their wine grapes, but in Yoichi Town the people are self taught and cultivate their produce based on their own experience. Because of this, their methods are a little unique compared to global standards, but their accumulated wisdom is an important asset to the region.” 

 

 

And so it is on a hilltop some 60 meters above sea level in Noborimachi, Yoichi Town (Yoichi-cho), at the base of the Shakotan Peninsula mountain ranges in the western part of Hokkaido, where Soga would tend to his Pinot Noir dominant (with also some Zweigelt) 4.6 hectare vineyard, with a barn that's been converted into a small winery. When Soga had first purchased the farmland, he had counted seven different fruit trees that were cultivated on it - apples, chestnuts, plums, prunes, amongst others - and thus he would name his wine Nana-tsu-mori (translating as "Seven Forest") to pay homage to what was once grown on the parcel before he would inevitably have to clear the land and begin growing his grapes anew.

Also particularly important for Soga was the use of the name "Domaine", which he believes best expresses a delineated and limited nature to his space, almost of a world of its own where the unique terroir of Yoichi can be felt, and also the desire to closely tie the output to the nature of the work being that of farming and a respect for the land itself - and therefore Domaine Takahiko. For Takahiko, he is farmer first and winemaker second, and thus sees himself as simply part of a local community of growers, regardless of whether the medium is that of apples, potatoes or grapes.

 

 

"In wine making, I used to pursue fruitiness, power, and tannin, but to be honest, I was feeling a little limited. I also wondered if this was the kind of wine I wanted to drink from the bottom of my heart. Then I had a chance to taste a wine made by Pierre Overnoy, who has been making natural wine (vin naturel) since the 1970's in the Jura region of France, and I thought, “Is this the kind of wine I want to drink from the bottom of my heart?" It has a dashi-like flavor and lingers forever. I thought that this dashi-like flavor was the kind of Japanese wine we should be aiming for." 

 

Inspired deeply by the winemaking of Jura and Burgundy, with whom Soga shares a strong affinity to in his farming identity, along with a desire to make wines that complemented the sensibilities of Japanese cuisine, Soga had leaned towards Pinot Noir. Despite his initial concerns that Japan's hot, humid and rainy climate was incompatible with the already notoriously sensitive grape, he was nevertheless convinced that it was indeed possible to pursue his dream having seen the quality of the fruit from the Kimura Noir Farm, which remains as the top Pinot Noir grower in Yoichi.

 

Wine like dobin-mushi.

 

And thus Soga would endeavour to make Pinot Noir wines that would be distinctively umami - "an umami that is like a delicate soup stock" as he calls it, likening it to dobin-mushi (a Japanese broth of seafood and vegetables made in an earthen pot), tasting "as if you're walking by Japanese shrines and temples in each of the four seasons" - elaborating that “strong flavored wine do not really go well with Japanese cuisine. It is wonderful to drink occasionally, but no one wants to eat pork ramen everyday. Japan also has a culture of appreciating the subtle and delicate flavors that are found in natural wine," going so far as to say that whilst natural wines are amongst the most popular in Japan, that this had little to do with any matter of environmental friendliness, and that it was more so to do with cultural preferences of taste. Where the wine world had largely adapted to the preferences of highly influential western wine critics who often scored higher strong flavoured wines, Soga believed that this was an opportunity for Japan to pursue its own unique path.

"Tasting Pierre Overnoy’s Ploussard made me realize that umami in wine could deeply move me. It reminded me of the umami found in dobin-mushi. I began to think that Japan had a unique potential for crafting wines with umami expression. During my time at Coco Farm, skilled farmers growing table grapes often asked why qualities like the deliciousness (umami) of Kyoho or Pione weren’t pursued in wine. While we often dismissed the idea, saying that wine didn’t work that way, I felt a sense of discomfort about our response. That discomfort was resolved when I encountered the Overnoy’s Poulsard, which connected me to the farmers’ perspective."

 

 

Yet Soga wasn't always of this perspective, having in his younger years preferred the very same strong flavoured wines that he now finds overpowering. Soga had learnt that the prescription to create such wines required growers to subject their vines to intense water stress accompanied by the use of techniques such as drip irrigation. And so where Soga had once harboured the ambition of making such strong wines abroad, he would later have a change of heart when he had concluded that he would much rather stay in Japan, his home country that he so loved. Yet as has been detailed, Japan's rainy and hot weather (although cooler in Yoichi) was simply incompatible with producing strong wines, and thus having learnt of and having deeply enjoyed Overnoy's wines in similarly rainy and cool Jura, Soga would thus resolve to produce similarly umami wines, reflecting that "later, Bruce [Gutlove] told me that Pierre Overnoy’s wines were beginning to garner international acclaim around the world. I found that I had the palate that could understand this umami, so if I thoroughly pursued it, I could find success."

  

“We all recognize the smell of our childhood home or the smell of a temple when we visit the countryside. There are various smells that we associate with places. I often describe the aroma of our wine as like the pleasant scent of walking along the cobblestones of a shrine at the foot of a mountain. 

I enjoy wines that are soft and velvety in the mouth, with depth, long finishes, and a warmth that touches the heart. I don’t drink alcohol every day, so when I do drink, I look for wines that I personally find delicious. While I don’t limit myself to wines from the same region or producer, I actively seek out new producers whose wines inspire me."

   

 

Critical to achieving this soft umami, Soga says is Yoichi's soft water and mountain soil, that's then farmed naturally. "Hard water does not make for good dashi (Japanese broth)" says Soga, drawing parallels between Japanese food and his wines, stating that hard water produces bitter dashi just as it does hard tannins in wine. Soga explains that the waters in western winemaking regions are hard - that is, mineral rich - as compared to Yoichi's which are considered soft. But in Yoichi, it's not just the water that is soft, but the soils as well. Originating from the volcanic mountains, the soils found at its base are lighter and richer in organic matter (compared to Europe's love for hard limestone soils), which Soga pays special attention to ensure is well-tilled and aerated, often covered in weeds and a thriving biodiversity, as well as exercising natural farming techniques to encourage microbial activity in the soil, which means no chemical fertilizers or herbicides are used, amongst other regenerative farming methods. "I want to express an aroma that, when you taste it, reminds you of your hometown, not France, Italy, or America, but the natural landscape of Japan. If a wine is described as ‘like a Chardonnay from Burgundy,’ then it is not a uniquely Japanese wine." says Soga.

 

 

Nevertheless, Soga's practices have not come without intense challenges - in his first year, half his harvest was infected with Botrytis fungus, with the year after that even more all encompassing, with the Botrytis this time taking his entire crop. Cusped between the seaside and mountains, the humid climate makes for ideal conditions for Botrytis to happen, with Soga quickly concluding that this was an annual reality that he would likely have to co-exist with. And so Soga was determined to make things work. When he was told that there was little choice but to toss his harvest, he had instead decided that with potentially nothing left on the table, he was better off attempting to produce a wine from the Botrytis affected grapes - after all, Botrytis, otherwise known as Noble Rot, is responsible for world renowned sweet wines such as Bordeaux's Sauternes or Germany's Trockenbeerenauslese. However, Soga was not interested in making a sweet wine, and would thus sort the affected fruit, removing the damaged skins, pressing them immediately after harvest and then separately vinifying the Botrytized fruit to produce its own dry wine, which he labels as Domaine Takahiko Nana Tsu Mori Blanc de Noir, that has now become highly prized given its small and inconsistent production.

 

 

More than a decade in and Soga still finds managing Botrytis the most challenging aspect of each season - it should be made clear that Soga does not seek out Botrytis unlike sweet wine makers, which can severely impact his already small yields and are difficult to manage sugar levels of the resulting fruit - although he's since developed practices to mitigate Botrytis (keeping it to about 10% of his yield), such as using blowers to remove flower debris, nevertheless he refuses to use any form of fungicide, accepting that each harvest a portion of his yield are likely to be affected anyway.

And so in Soga's hillside Nana Tsu Mori vineyard resides some 12,000 organically farmed vines, predominantly Pinot Noir, of which he cultivates 13 clones of the varietal, hailing from France, Germany and Switzerland. Even as the domaine has achieved in its relative youth such a cult like status both locally and internationally, the reality is that with just over a decade and a half of harvest experience in the location, Soga is still paying close attention to the vines and learning about winemaking in Yoichi, each year tweaking his approach to pruning and improving soil quality. Also perhaps rather surprising given the elevated status of Soga's wines is that rather than optimising for standardisation, he actively embraces unevenness in his fruit, which he believes is what gives his wines character. 

 

 

"I always say that our vineyards and wines don’t strive for “uniform beauty.” The soil, the grapevines, the ripening process, and even the microbial environment during fermentation are all pursued with the aim of creating “beautiful irregularities.” I think of wine as being akin to Japanese ceramics. For example, a Bizen kiln represents a vineyard in Beaune, and certain spots in the kiln where the glaze beautifully interacts with the heat represent a grand cru. In winemaking, rain allows for uneven ripening. It’s not about deliberately including under ripe grapes, but sometimes, due to the year’s conditions, a greater number of under ripe berries end up in the wine. That imperfection becomes part of that year’s unique story and beauty." says Soga.

Each year during harvest, Soga enlists the help of hundreds of volunteers who show up for what promises to be at the minimum a deeply insightful experience into one of Japan's most sought after wines, yet for many it is the experience of a lifetime. Those who volunteer are additionally treated to a barrel tasting session at the end of the harvest, which definitely helps keep the volunteers coming. Once the harvest is over, in just a couple of weeks, the vineyard will transform into a blanket of white powdery snow, with the vines igloo-ed in until April of the following year.

 

 

“The most important yet rarely discussed aspect is ensuring a diverse range of microorganisms and creating an environment where they can thrive—whether in the fermentation vessels or in the soil. Yoichi, including its landscape, provides an environment where a wide variety of microorganisms can coexist. While whole-cluster fermentation and fermentation vessels often attract attention, I believe that this microbial diversity is the most critical factor.”

 

Barring severe damage, all the fruit harvested are and used, with Soga going further in saying that whilst "unripe grapes are not a good thing. Still, we choose to include them. There is beauty in unevenness. The beauty of unevenness is that things are different from place to place and from soil layer to soil layer. I think this is what terroir is all about."  Soga opts for whole bunch vinification without destemming, with then a short maceration period, and fermentation (in neutral resin tanks stored in temperature controlled rooms) allowed to occur spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, with the wines finally allowed to age in French oak barrels (about 15% new) for between 9 months to a year with minimal to no sulfur additions. Soga doesn't rack or filter the wines, leaving his wines to keep its cloudy aesthetic and inherent texture, with also no plans to experiment with more trendy ageing vessels such as amphoras - beyond trialing new techniques of organic cultivation, perhaps the only other things that Soga is open to revolves around managing climate change, which Soga has testified as being rapid and significant, with temperatures and number of growing days gaining ground each year. This Soga says is closer to how wines were made in the past, and thus Soga prefers to act minimally in the cellars and do as little as possible, instead letting himself get out of nature's way. Whilst Soga points to the strong microbial life in his soils (and therefore on the fruit skins and stems, hence they are also fermented) as the magic that makes this all work, experts have also pointed to the semi-carbonic effect of whole bunch vinification which is what creates Soga's signature soft tannin wines.

 

 

More recently given the effects of climate change that are difficult to foresee and therefore manage, Soga acknowledges that this will ultimately have a strong bearing on the quality of his fruit, and therefore has decided to classify and grade various cuvees to distinguish for quality. Where Soga had initially simply put all his harvest into his grand vin, he now has five cuvees - the Nana-Tsu-Mori Rose de Noir (his top cuvee), the botrytised Nana-Tsu-Mori Blanc de Noir, the flagship Nana-Tsu-Mori Pinot Noir, and then the Nana-Tsu-Mori Passetoutgrains (his second wine, a blend of Pinot Noir and Zweigelt), and finally the Nana-Tsu-Mori VINOP Rose (blend of various lots). Additionally, wines from Soga that are marked under his own name, Takahiko Soga, as opposed to Domaine Takahiko, will feature wines sourced from other growers in the area, many of whom are former apprentices of his, or simply peers in the neighbourhood, with the Clos Da Descion single vineyard label (sourced from the vineyard of Soga's deputy, Keiichi Murakami and his wife) in particular having become highly sought after.

 

 

"I enjoy the time I spend thinking about wine. Recently, I’ve been fascinated by looking at the Instagram accounts of producers worldwide who share similar philosophies in cultivation and winemaking. I tend not to follow accounts with strong promotional elements, but those that post scenes from their actual work are incredibly inspiring and educational. Other than that, I try to spend as much time as possible with my children. They are an immensely important source of energy for me."

 

Beyond Soga's work in his vineyards, it is clear that the community and the future of winemaking in Yoichi is something that Soga is incredibly passionate about. This passion is thus underscored by Soga's deep understanding about the practical realities of winemaking and more broadly, farming, and therefore his acute awareness of the economics and social underpinnings that are necessary to sustain the craft. “The wine business must be passed onto future generations. However, I do not want to force my children into taking over my business. I want to create an environment where my children will desire to take it over someday. We need to think about what kind of future will bring happiness to our communities. Which future would be more interesting? Is it a future of my winery becoming very large scale or a future where many new small scale wineries establish themselves in this region? Having 100 wineries in the town will be far more lively and the town would flourish as an established region for wine,” says Soga. 

 

 

This is perhaps best exemplified by Soga's determination to proactively keep things simple and low-fi - visits to his winery often surprise given the many plastic containers Soga has on hand that are used for everything from harvesting to storage to vinification - proving that costly, complex or trendy and new equipment is not required to produce world class wines, and might not even perform better. Soga believes that by showing that high quality wines can be made in an affordable and accessible manner, along with providing training and being open and supportive about his methods, economics and the insights he's gained thus far, he would be able to spur the local industry with a wave of new growers as opposed to simply expanding his own winery or commanding a legion of apprentices. Nevertheless it can be said that almost every winemaker in Yoichi has worked with Soga in some capacity, many of whom share similar sensibilities, and perhaps most intriguingly almost none have taken the typical winemaker's route of going abroad for apprenticeships - in some sense, this has created a strong regionality about the wines coming out of Yoichi. 

 

The many faces of winemaking in Yoichi.

 

"Yes, the future of the region is extremely important. Even if our individual goals and perspectives differ, we must maintain strong communication. By sharing each other’s failures and successes, we can all improve, including myself. Building a sustainable wine-growing region requires support and communication at all levels, and I believe this is essential. There is no point in increasing the volume of shipments and having me alone say, ‘This is what Japanese wine is all about! It is meaningless for me to insist, “This is how Japanese wine is made! I believe that if new wineries create their own wines based on a common understanding of Japanese wine, a new wine culture will begin in this town." says Soga.

Soga has also actively touted the commercial opportunities of farming in Hokkaido, where as a result of the nationwide declining birthrates and ageing population, much land has been left abandoned and therefore can be purchased and rejuvenated for relatively cheap prices. Local regulations have even been relaxed (since 2011, Yoichi Town has been declared a special winemaking region with deregulated Liquor Tax Laws) as a result of Soga's efforts, where obtaining a liquor license once required winemakers to produce a minimum of 6,000L, today just 2,000L of annual production is sufficient. This small scale requirement, without the need of large investment, where growers can almost singlehandedly farm and produce their own wines potentially at a world class level at low entry point prices, with the support of a strong community, has proven very effective, with now over 30 wineries in the prefecture. Even when it comes to handling the inevitable loom of Botrytis, Soga had wanted to demonstrate that such adverse situations need not spell doom, and therefore showcases proudly his Blanc de Noir. 

 

 

"Land is cheap in Hokkaido and the environment is blessed with a good climate. If everyone starts small and produces wine that is unique to that region and to themselves, and we are able to create a system that allows them to make a profit, I believe the future for this town will be bright. Rather than selling their grapes for 200 yen per kilogram, making the grapes into wine has the potential of selling the same volume for 10,000 yen. Furthermore, it is not such a difficult process. I want to tell people that it is easier than making miso at home."

Whilst this booming wine trade in Yoichi might not reverse the declining local population, Soga believes that it has the power to create a vibrant and brighter community for the future.

 

 

“[Speaking on his wines] The flavor is delicate yet broad and has a long lingering umami that is similar to the experience of drinking a good soup stock. I don’t think there are many wines like this that exist in the world today. It is an expression that can only be created in Japan and that’s what makes it interesting. I think the Japanese people are very good at creating worlds that others cannot imitate!” 

Domaine Takahiko would gain international recognition when in 2020, its Nana-Tsu-Mori Pinot Noir (2017 Vintage) became the first ever Japanese wine to feature on the wine list of famed Copenhagen restaurant, Noma. The winery has also been locally recognised, having been awarded a 5 Star rating by the Japan Winery Award Council for over four consecutive years, an accreditation that only 15 out of a total 258 wineries in Japan has received in 2021.

With all that said, let's give the wines a try!

Wine Review:  Takahiko Soga Yoichi Nobori Passetoutgrain

This is the 2023 vintage. 

A style familiar to Burgundy, France, the Bourgogne Passetoutgrain from which this label was inspired by, would typically be a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay (with at least 30% Pinot Noir and 15% Gamay, and Pinot Noir being the primary varietal); its "Passetoutgrain" name comes from local Burgundian dialect that is taken to mean "pass all the grapes" or "toss it all in", in reference to field blends that were common in the past where Pinot Noir and Gamay varietals were often grown and harvested together - of course, today single varietal parcels are the standard practice.

Takahiko Soga's Yoichi Nobori take on the Passetoutgrain style is localised with at least 51% Pinot Noir and then the rest being Zweigelt, the latter being selected as an homage to Yoichi where the cold-resistant and better climate adapted varietal is commonly farmed. Bottled under the Takahiko Soga name (as opposed to "Domaine Takahiko"), this is therefore a cuvee of fruit sourced from both Domaine Takahiko, as well as other vineyards and farms in Yoichi. The 2023 vintage is 98% Pinot Noir and 2% Zweigelt.

 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Garnet

Aroma: A whiff of greenness and rustic earthiness on the open, with green bellpeppers and freshly tilled moist soil. It has this mountain air freshness and purity about it. Yet that quickly fades to give supple dark and red fruits of blackcurrants, dark cherries and raspberries that rests on a canvas of confectionaries of cherry frosting, red licorice, cherry lollies, thai red ruby dessert (tub tim grob), strawberry milk candy (alpenliebe), cherry swirls and raspberry ripples, all mixed in to some vanilla cream. The bouquet is then enveloped in perfumed and sensual florals, garnished with rose petals and irises. 

Taste: Medium-bodied here, really soft acidity, completely resolved and relaxed tannins, there's more of those red fruits and vanilla cream, here giving strawberry cream, red licorice, strawberry preserves, cranberries, pomegranates, plums and dark cherries. Light leafy, grassiness, almost alittle grassy and minty, of shiso. It's rich and supple, with this deep, fruity and vanillic, creamy core of confectionary strawberry milk candy, cherry swirls and raspberry ripples. It's incredibly fruity, rather vibrant and youthful, yet with a textural buoyancy almost of mochi or poptart filling, that's at once silky and also plush. It's lift and overall light touch, contrasted against that elevated richness and springiness, makes for a very elegant body. 

Finish: That freshness and lift carries through the finish, really plush, rich and seamless, with a follow through of those confectionary cherry lollies, cherry vanilla swirls, strawberry ripples.

My Thoughts

I was most impressed! Beyond that youthful and fresh fruitiness, sensual and perfumed florals, and beguiling confectionaries, given that much more character from that almost alpine rusticity of freshly tilled soil and mountain air, what really struck me was first the cohesiveness, and then that most elegant and ethereal silky springiness to the body, delivered with a plush yet lifted richness. On first glance, it might be tempting to compare this to something right out of Beaujolais, and indeed they bear much similarities, yet as is always emphasised, execution is everything - there's just that much more of an elegance, balance and character to this label from Yoichi, where it doesn't feel like a single note, nor is any one flavour camp overbearing, yet at the same time it carries that heft of richness, with also a very discernible progression and evolution, also walking you through as you trace its very generous nuances and plump curvature. The fruits and confectionaries combine beautifully in what feels particularly striking in its nostalgia factor, of strawberry milk candies, raspberry ripples and cherry swirls, somehow retaining a sort of enchanting nature that I just couldn't get enough of, and simply pined for more. This feels at once deceptively simple and yet is in fact hauntingly intriguing in its elegance.

 

Kanpai!

 

@111hotpot