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.
No products found
Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Charleston is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This cuvée is produced from hundred-year old vines that the great-grandfather planted after he returned from World War I. The family wanted to honor his memory and vinify these vines the same way he did, in old demi-muids.
Charleston is a deep and complex wine that gently express itself in the glass, offering juicy white fruit flavors and a lengthy finish.
Charleston is vinified and aged for one year in demi-muids of over 10 years old. During the following harvest, the wine is racked and placed in vats for another 6 months of aging before bottling.
Fish in white sauce, poultry in creamy sauce, hard cheeses.
Review:
The 2020 Viré-Clessé Charleston is the most structured, concentrated wine in the range, mingling notions of crisp orchard and stone fruit with scents of clear honey, white flowers, beeswax and mint in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied ample and satiny, it's layered and multidimensional, with impressive depth at the core, racy acids and chalky grip. Derived from the Guillemot family's oldest parcel of vines (dating back to 1918), it's built to age.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
Riebeek Cellars Merlot is made from 100% Merlot.
Grapes were cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selective yeast. Fermentation took place at 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Wine were pressed at
above 2 degree Balling. Malolactic fermentation finished in stainless steel tanks. Oak maturation include French oak chips, French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. All blended together to perfection.
The style is elegant with distinctive red berries and well-integrated wood flavors on the nose. The pallet is velvety and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers with the juicy flavors of abundant berries.
At room temperature or slightly chilled. Enjoy with pasta or light meat dishes.