Agri-Coeur / Hokusho 2023 (Red) 750ml

This was the first variety I encountered when I came to Kaminoyama.

There have been people passionate about wine grapes in this land for 40 years.

The "Kitashun" that those people started to plant is said to be too sour to drink when made into wine, and it has now become an extremely hard-to-obtain grape, with only four people currently cultivating it in Kamiyama.

In fact, the wine from a certain winery had a dominant acidity, perhaps due to an early harvest.

The wine, made from fully ripened grapes and aged for a year in barrels, evokes Pinot Noir while its acidity reminds one of wild grapes, creating a unique structure.

It was an elegant quality with structure that made me want to call it a Japanese Pinot.

The grapes were macerated at a slightly low temperature for just under two months, with gentle pigeage, and after pressing, they were allowed to settle for about two and a half months before being bottled.

Thanks to the extreme heat of 2023 and the sugar content of 20, I don't feel the acidity that was said to be strong.

The unique richness and flavor of the wild grape variety, especially the distinctive aroma reminiscent of "a certain variety," is very intriguing, and the fact that this aroma can appear and disappear adds to its mystery.