The Uchigasaki Brewing Company Brewery
In 1620, Date Masamune, daimyo of present-day Miyagi Prefecture, ordered his retainer Uchigasaki Oribe to build a town one day's march from Sendai, on the road north to Aomori. In 1661, Oribe's son Sakuemon founded the Uchigasaki Sake Brewery, which has continued in production for 343 years and is the oldest brewery in the region. Little is known of those early days, and we can only surmise what the brewery's sakes tasted like then. But today we know exactly what to expect when we see a bottle with the brewery's Hoyo label on it. The sake inside will be gentle, reticent and charming, especially so in the case of ones made from regional rice strains like "Manamusume" and "Kura no Hana," which seem to lend themselves especially well to the brewery's delicately nuanced brewing style.
There are commentators who have called attention to the connection between sake and Buddhism, noting how, after all, it is the tiny microorganisms who do all the work, with human beings acting as mere coaches on the side. Brewmaster Shoji Kano lets them do the work, but ensures that their every need is sincerely and attentively met.
“If sakes were people,” one enthusiast commented recently, "Kura no Hana daiginjo would be a young girl playing gaily in a meadow.” By aspiring to produce a label that is light, winsome and graceful, the Uchigasaki Sake Brewery has produced one of the very few "crossover" sakes in the United States: Even flinty burgundy-sippers light up with a smile at first sip.
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This is a 6 pack with 2 bottles each from vintages from 2013, 2015, and 2016.
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2016:
The 2016 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is the most brooding of the lineup from Val di Suga and is sourced from the southwest of the region on sandy soils. There are aromatics of black raspberry, licorice, menthol, sage, cinnamon, and iron-rich earth. Its Mediterranean influence is felt on the palate with ripe black cherry, dried herbs, and sun-baked earth. This is the fullest bodied and most savory of the Val di Suga lineup, with more roundness and grip. Its structure will benefit from cellaring for several years and will be great drinking over the next 20 years or more. 2026-2040.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2015:
The 2015 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is more introverted on first opening, with notes of black plum, licorice, dried Mediterranean herb, and sun-baked earth. On the palate, it offers a tart dried fruit character, with a building tannin structure that finishes with tomato leaf, and bitter herbs. The most rustic and burly of the wines in the lineup of the 2015 Val di Suga vintage, it will benefit from allowing some time in cellar to see how this matures and its tarriness develops. Drink 2026-2036
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2013:
Plenty of spices and fresh herbs on the nose, such as dried rosemary and nutmeg, to match the underlying dried redcurrants and cranberries. Full-bodied with plenty of concentration, but still shows a very sturdy, tannin backbone and punchy acidity, to drive this through to a long finish. Drink in 2021.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Double Gold Medal, San Francisco International Wine Competition Silver, Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes: Our Chardonnay is both fresh and creamy and has notes of citrus, green apple, white peach, and vanilla. Enjoy with roasted chicken, salads, fresh seafood, and cream sauces.