Hokkaido // Japan
95% Pinot Noir and 5% Zweigelt. 2023 was a year of extreme pressure as the birds devastated the vineyards of Hokkaido. Domaine Takahiko was one of the few that managed to bring some fruit into the cellar. Thanks to the impact of millerandage on the vines, the grapes from Nana-Tsu-Mori vineyard had beautiful acidity and aromatics.
In the cellar, the traditional winemaking recipe was applied, but due to the character of the vintage, a dash of Zweigelt (2%) was added to better balance the resulting wine.
While 98% of the blend comes from Nana-Tsu-Mori vineyard, the 2023 is labelled Yoichi-Nobori-N Passetoutgrain, where the last ‘N’ stands for the Nana-Tsu-Mori vineyard where the Pinot Noir was harvested.
Brainchild of Takahiko Soga, owner and winemaker, the winery has become undisputed master of Japanese Pinot Noir in just over a decade. Cherished by wine lovers for its unique take on Pinot Noir, the winery is something of a phantom, flying under the radar of mainstream media.
In-Store Only