Chateau Mercian Yamanashi Koshu Sur Lie

As grapes were never indigenous to Japan all grapevines had been introduced to the region with the movement of the spice route and silk roads over 2,000 years. Château Mercian grows Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, whilst experimenting with Albariño, Mencia and others, and has always shared its long experience of producing wine in Japan with every other producer in the region. Château Mercian is the oldest established winery in Japan, starting out in 1870 having sent two young men to France to understand wine making in the European tradition. Indeed the descendants of these two men are still growing Koshu for Mercian today.

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. Pale yellow colour. Refreshing aromas of citrus fruits such as lemon, lime, sudachi and apple, nuance of toasted bread derived from Sur Lie Method appears. Fresh acidity is accented by pleasant astringency extracted from the skin of Koshu grapes. Green salad, various sashimi or seafood dishes with toasty flavours such as fish pie, roasted Spanish mackerel seasoned with Saikyo miso, sautéed cuttlefish, seafood Paella."

Tasting Note:
Refreshing aromas of lemon and lime, as well as apple, nuance of toasted bread derived from the gentle lees ageing. Fresh acidity is accented by pleasant texture coming from the skin of the Koshu grapes.

Vegan.