Grapes: Merlot + Muscat Bailey A + Delaware
Region: Yamagata, Japan
Vintage: 2024
Viticulture: Low-intervention
Soils: Basalt + Alluvial
Vinification: harvested together after heavy October rains forced an early pick of the Merlot alongside fully ripe Muscat Bailey A. The two red varieties were destemmed and crushed together, given an overnight skin contact, pressed, and fermented slowly at low temperature in an open tank for 19 days to preserve varietal aroma. After racking, the wine aged six months in stainless steel and two more months in old oak before a small addition of ripe and slightly underripe Delaware was blended in just before bottling, adding light fruit lift and bright acidity.
Aging: 6 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None
Notes from the Importer: Kiyosumi Shirakawa Fujimaru Brewery is a pioneering Japanese urban winery founded by Tomofumi Fujimaru with the goal of integrating wine production into everyday city life. Rather than cultivating vineyards in Tokyo, this urban négociant hub sources meticulously hand-harvested grapes from boutique, eco-conscious farmers in celebrated regions like Yamanashi and Yamagata. Housed in a beautifully repurposed former factory in Tokyo's Koto ward, the facility operates a working production cellar on the ground floor and an industrial-chic restaurant upstairs. Driven by a minimal-intervention philosophy, the winery utilizes spontaneous wild-yeast fermentations, skips heavy filtration, and avoids added sulfur to craft light-bodied, lively natural wines meant to be enjoyed fresh alongside seasonal cuisine.
