A mountain range provides a backdrop to rows of meticulously tended vines in Katsunuma, a charming town west of Tokyo. This is where you’ll find a Japanese winery that boasts a rich history of over 130 years. While known internationally as Château Lumière, those working within its walls often still fondly use its original Japanese name.

The Meiji era during the late 1800s was a time of profound transformation when Japan opened its doors to Western influences and embraced new ideas and technologies. As the country rapidly industrialized and shifted its economic focus, Katsunuma saw a decline in its once-thriving silk industry. In response, the government actively encouraged grape cultivation and winemaking as part of the shokusan kōgyō (industrial promotion) policy, aiming to establish Yamanashi as the heart of Japan's burgeoning wine industry. It was during this pivotal period that Lumière Winery first took root.

The winery was founded by Tokuyoshi Furiya, a prominent commander fighting to restore imperial rule during a dangerous period of civil war which marked Japan's transition away from feudal rule. Tokuyoshi had faced serious adversity and setbacks in his life, including a significant defeat in battle due to overwhelming numbers from enemy forces. Yet he survived these battles, persevered, ultimately reclaiming his honor and establishing the Furiya Winery.

Fifth generation President Shigeki Kida

Since its founding, the winery has remained steadfast in its original location, passed down through five generations of the Furiya family, making it one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Japan. In 1992, the winery adopted the name "Lumière," indicating its aspiration to be a beacon for the Japanese wine industry.

Winemaking at Lumière begins with the fruit sourced from 16 hectares of estate vineyards and as well as from trusted local farmers with whom they have cultivated partnerships spanning over a century. The estate vineyards are set at an altitude of 400 meters on the Kofu Basin's alluvial fan and enjoy exceptional conditions for wine growing: abundant sunlight, a granite-rich soil, excellent drainage and low rainfall of the Yamanashi region, which creates an ideal environment for cultivating high quality wine grapes. Interestingly, it’s also said that most of the estate red vineyards were planted with clippings taken from renowned Bordeaux wineries, such as Château Margaux’s Cabernet Sauvignon and its Riesling vineyards from Schloss Johannisberg in Germany.

The winegrowers embrace natural farming techniques. For the past 20 years, they have been using sod culture where soil is nurtured through no-tillage systems to promote biodiversity and minimize environmental impact. They also avoid chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides to encourage the growth of beneficial microorganisms and natural yeasts.

The estate vineyards are a diverse tapestry of red and white varieties. On the red side, there’s the classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. But there's also a touch of the unexpected with plantings of Tannat, a robust variety from Southwest France, Tempranillo, the star of Rioja in Spain, and even the lesser-seen Mills. There is also the Japanese workhorse, Muscat Bailey A, a hybrid grape with a distinctive fruity character that has played a significant role in the development of Japanese wine.

On the white side, the native koshu grape takes centre stage along with international white varieties, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Delaware, a pink-skinned American hybrid grape known for its fruitiness.

Once the grapes are harvested, it’s fermentation time. Lumière uses a piece of history for this step – it owns Japan's first underground fermentation tank, completed in 1901 and still in use today. As they represent the pioneering spirit of early Japanese winemakers, the Yamanashi Prefecture declared these vats a protected "National Treasure".

Lumière currently has over seven distinct wine labels to showcase the diversity of its vineyards and the flexibility of its winemaking approach. The red wines which include the flagship Château Lumière, and Histoire are often vinified in the classic Bordeaux style, and are described to have a mellow elegance, clean flavours of dark cherries and berries and fine acidity. The oak used are sourced from renowned French properties.

The white wines predominantly feature koshu, often blended with other varieties. Under the leadership of President Shigeki Kida, Lumière has recently ventured into the world of sparkling wines, producing elegant koshu sparklers with the Méthode Champenoise borrowed from Champagne makers, resulting in fine, delicate bubbles.

Kida takes a refreshingly laid-back approach to Japanese wine appreciation. He encourages people to enjoy his wines in a way that suits them, whether chilled in summer or even with ice.

Tasting at 67 Pall Mall

67 Pall Mall Singapore has recently hosted a members-only walkaround tasting event showcasing some of Japan's best wineries. I had the pleasure of tasting a range of Lumière's wines at this special event.

I kicked off my tasting with Lumière’s elegant koshu-based sparkling wine.

Lumière Sparkling Koshu 2021 – Review

100% Koshu grapes. Méthode Champenoise.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A yeasty, bready aroma mingles with crisp, sweet fruit. Hints of coastal influence with Parma ham-like saltiness and a subtle minerality.

Palate: On the lighter sight and just a touch off-dry, with a delicate acidity and incredibly fine mousse. Light fruitiness with notes of Fuji apple and the refreshing zest of Japanese yuzu.

Finish: Very light, with a gentle mineral touch.

My Thoughts:

This is a very refreshing and crisp sparkling wine. It's light, crisp, and much less sweet than the usual Champagne you get made with Chardonnay. The acidity and dryness is noticeable but quite delicate, and the minerality really comes through in the finish.

I reckon this would be great with just about anything, but it would be perfect with lighter Japanese dishes such as tempura or sashimi. 

Lumière Sparkling Orange 2021 – Review

100% Koshu grapes. Méthode Champenoise.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A little more syrupy and honeyed, with a tart berry note and some soft pineapple coming through. A good bit of minerality with a touch of something rustic underneath.

Palate: Bubbles are a bit more lively and nippy than the Sparkling Koshu, but it's still really balanced. There's a light nuttiness and a pleasant dryness. I get some honey, apricot, marmalade and sweet pineapples again, but with a sharper dry edge this time.

Finish: A shorter finish, with light notes of honey and yuzu.

My Thoughts:

This one's a bit richer, a bit more oomph than the Sparkling Koshu, with great effervescence and more of a focus on those fleshier fruits like apricot and also has this lovely citrusy-orangey character, almost like a bitter orange marmalade.

It's got a syrupy thing going on with more complexity and roundness, with some honey and nuttiness in the mix.

Lumière Prestige Class Orange 2022 - Review

100% Koshu grapes.

Tasting Notes

Nose: This has a lovely sweet berry aroma right up front, with some citrus notes as well. There's also a touch of interesting funkiness, kind of like a saison beer.

Palate: This is quite complex. It's got a good minerality, some very light yellow fruit notes – a bit like snow pear – and a slight acidity of fresh green ume (Japanese plum). Then there's this interesting rustic edge to it, almost a bit animal, like the muskiness of a hay-filled stable.

Finish: Light, with a soft citrusy acidity.

My Thoughts:

I really the complexity and nuances in this one. It’s got great precision in the way it balances a mineral backbone with those soft yellow fruit flavours. It’s also got that rustic touch that gives this a lot of character.

Here’s a wine that would make you think. I know Japanese wines are made to be drunk earlier but it would still be fascinating to see how it develops over time with a few more years of aging to open up more character.

I can imagine this pairing beautifully with something like a creamy mushroom risotto, or even a chicken roulade.

Lumière Histoire White Blend 2022 – Review

Delaware (56%), Chardonnay (13%), Merlot (11%), Koshu (7%), Mills (6%), and others. Fermented and aged in barrel.

Tasting Notes

Nose: This smells like the ocean! Gentle notes of citrus with a very distinctly briny layer; an oily Parma ham quality and a light nuttiness in the background too.

Palate: It’s viscous and rich on the texture. Opens with candied green apple gummies joined by a fresh minerality and a light tartness from passion fruit. Nuttiness and yeastiness grows from the back as it sits on the palate with an everpresent aroma of citrus peels.

Finish: Medium length, with soft nuances of honey and white flowers, with a mild, clean nuttiness.

My Thoughts:

A very textural wine. I quite enjoy the thick, viscous palate and its elegant tartness that does not overpower. It’s already delicious and would be fantastic with grilled seafood – maybe some grilled scallops or a delicate white fish – although I think some more ageing would bring out even more of that beautiful nuttiness.

Lumière Ushioku 2023 – Review

100% Delaware grapes selected from the Ushioku region. Fermented and barrel aged for 6 months.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bursting with tropical fruit and quite complex on the aroma. It's much richer and fruitier than the other wines I’ve tasted so far, with those heavier fruit notes of pineapple, yuzu, fresh peaches, lychee and floral hints of rose added to the mix. There's a touch of that coastal influence again, some yeastiness and a bit of minerality.

Palate: Thick and viscous in texture, like the Histoire. It starts off dry and nutty, before these light green fruits emerge along with a steely, mineral dryness and a light yeastiness that lingers.

Finish: Long with build up of light spice with a hit of fresh chili flakes and a long-lasting sweet yeasty depth, with a subtle sweetness that remind me of freshly baked sourdough bread. It also picks up those coastal notes again along with a bit of barnyard muskiness too.

My Thoughts:

This has such an evocative bouquet on the nose! And on the palate, it's once again very textural, as in the Histoire White. It's fresh and very drinkable, with a very “Super Dry” finish – much like a karakuchi sake while those savoury notes really add complexity.

A lovely versatile dry white wine that I could see myself enjoying with a wide range of oily, savoury dishes, from grilled yakitori to a hearty cheeseboard.

Château Lumière Red Blend 2016 – Review

Tannat (44%), Merlot (43%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), Others(4%), Barrel aged for 15 months.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Heady and very aromatic. I get these evocative sour plum notes, along with strawberry, blackcurrant, with a lovely sweet floral touch of rose and potpourri. A layer of mint and liquorice.

Palate: A crisp red wine with a medium-light body and a light tartness. The main thing I’m getting is all those tart red fruits – strawberry and raspberry at the forefront with a hint of cherry flavoured Cola and sarsaparilla. The tannins are there to provide structure but they’re so fine you can barely feel their dryness on the tongue. There’s a lasting red fruit acidity of pomegranates throughout.

Finish: Smooth tannins with a gentle fading warmth at the end. Some herbal aromas of pine and rosemary, a touch of pepper and a hint of minerality.

My Thoughts:

This is proper elegant. It’s mellow, with those super smooth tannins, and it's all about that fresh acidity and the juicy red fruit. It's much lighter bodied than your typical Bordeaux-style red, closer in weight to a Burgundy Pinot Noir. It’s all about finesse here, not power.

You can really taste the cool climate influence – bright acidity with ripe but not so overly opulent fruits and light herbal subtleties. And you can see how that aged character gives it a lovely floral lift of a potpourri bouquet. It's pretty amazing they've managed to do this with grapes like Tannat and Merlot, which are usually quite tough and tannic.

This would pair like a red Burgundy – think pigeon or venison with a bit of blackcurrant sauce, or even some lightly sauced yakiniku. 

Final Thoughts on Château Lumière

Overall, I'm really impressed with the range of wines from Château Lumière. They have a distinct personality – just taking the red blend for instance – it definitely is lighter in tannins and less concentrated than Bordeaux reds, with a real focus on finesse and subtlety rather than power.

They're all incredibly drinkable now, so there's no need to stash them away in the cellar for decades. That said, it's clear that some ageing can bring out beautiful nuances, like the evocative bouquet in the Château Lumière Red Blend and the extra complexity in the Lumière Prestige Class Orange.

These wines also remind me of Burgundy in many ways, in how they showcase the region's unique cooler climate and terroir, especially with that distinct minerality, bright acidity, and those delicate fruit notes. They seem to share the elegance and terroir-driven approach of Burgundy but are nonetheless lighter and made for earlier drinking. Here’s a winery that respects the land and the climate, with bottles that are delicious, refreshing and quite thought-provoking. 

@CharsiuCharlie