
The Yamagata prefecture is situated in the lower part of the region of Tohoku and is home to mountain ranges that open to the sea. The region’s mostly isolated area keeps it from the hub of bustling cities, but the quality of the region’s sake is well known. There are over 60 sake breweries in the Yamagata region, and the oldest one goes back to the Japanese civil war at the start of the Edo era. The youngest brewery in the Yamagata prefecture still has ancient characteristics. A majority of the sake brewed in the prefecture is crafted and consumed in Yamagata, and only a small percentage of the sake wines actually leave the region. The brewers in the region are also mainly from the prefecture and only roughly 30 percent of the brewers come from outside the region. The cold weather lends a hand to sake brewing and most of the wines created here are crafted from rice that grows in the cold climate. These full bodied sakes are typically clean in taste and have character. The Yamagata prefecture boasts of well balanced sakes that are characteristic and unique in taste. The region continues to advance and develop new brewing methods.
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Hall Wines The Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet, 4% Merlot.
The 2017 Kathryn Hall is deep, dark ruby in color and elegantly balanced with layered aromas of concentrated blackberry, freshly turned earth, and a hint of warm, spicy oak. The palate is fruit-forward with underlying notes of rich cocoa and leather. Layers of black fruit, nutmeg, cassis and brooding earthy notes are abundant. Supple, seamless tannin abounds, and the wine finishes with an incredible dark fruit feed-back that lasts several minutes.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, brought up mostly in new barrels. It’s a killer bottle of wine offering lots of ripe black fruits intermixed with savory herbs, melted chocolate, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the lush, round, velvety style of the 2019 vintage and is already impossible to resist. It’s going to evolve for 15+ years if well stored.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Bright fruit on the nose boasts notes of black cherry, black plum, violets, rose, orange, cocoa nibs, tobacco, mushroom and forest floor. On the palate, complex layers of fruit slowly melt into a bold, structured wine that impresses from start to finish. Velvety tannins interact gracefully with the wine’s fruit and acidity, all coming together to create a delightful wine and a beautiful expression of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Review:
The 2021 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir was stored in 26% new French oak before bottling and represents the top one percent of Estate Pinot Noir barrels. Red currants combine with freshly tilled soils, Black cherry and shades of dried herbs. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that frame a core of red and dark fruit flavors. Finishing long, with good viscosity, this is already sgiwubg beautifully right now.
Owen Bargreen 94 Points