Chateau Mercian Iwasaki Koshu 2023

Chateau Mercian, Koshu, Iwasaki District, Yamanashi, Japan, 2023     

Grape: 100% Koshu - Grown on overhead trellis, the grapes are a bright, lurid pink on the vine. The fruit is not overt, it's all about the combination of texture, acidity and finish and is considered to be part of the organoleptic experience rather than the whole. Fermented in barrel for 14 days, the wine was also aged for 4 months in oak.

Producer Tasting Note:

Citrus aromas of kabosu and yuzu with notes of white flowers, vanilla, almonds and hazelnuts. With refreshing balanced acidity, rich fruit flavours and concentrated citrus oil that marries well with the time spent in barrel.

Critic's Tasting Note:

"Restrained aromas of stone fruit, apple and zesty lime. Fresh and mineral, lovely delicate texture."

88/100 points, Decanter World Wine Awards, January 2025

This wine is made from Koshu, Japan’s indigenous wine grape which can be traced back to 1186 when it was discovered growing wild at Katsunama in Yamanashi prefecture. Koshu grapes are grown in the Iwasake District of the Yamanashi Prefecture where the soils are gravel and clay with good drainage. Over 40% of all wine grapes grown in Japan are the Koshu variety. Chateau Mercian is the oldest established winery in Japan, starting out in 1870.

Food Match: Drink with white fish tempura, or grilled chicken with yuzu pepper and mizuna with sesame vinegar