NEWS9 MAY 2022

Attending the Release Tasting for Domaine Hide × wa-syu Collaboration Wine "Tsubo Jitate Orange Koshu 2021"!

The collaboration wine between Domaine Hide and wa-syu introduced in our recent column: "Tsubo Jitate Orange Koshu 2021".

On Tuesday, May 3, a tasting event celebrating the release of this wine was held at Virtus Jiyugaoka. (We attended the media session.)

At this tasting event, none other than Domaine Hide's winemaker Hideo Shibuya made an appearance.

In this article, we will provide a brief report on the event.

Packed with exclusive anecdotes directly from Mr. Shibuya!

The event kicked off with a toast of "Tsubo Jitate Orange Koshu 2021".

Afterward, Virtus owner Yu Nakao, Mr. Shibuya, and wa-syu buyer Yoshimi Kikuchi shared behind-the-scenes stories leading up to the wine's completion.

Particularly memorable was the discussion about the "breathing ceramic amphorae" used for aging the wine, developed in collaboration with Kashogama, a long-established pottery kiln in Kyoto.

When they initially aged Koshu in four prototype jars, each turned out to have completely different flavors.

Unlike oak barrels, the daily evolution in flavor was dramatic.

"The jars are alive, exactly like tea utensils, and that is what makes it so fascinating," Mr. Shibuya said, visibly feeling confident in this new challenge.

The Flavor Profile of "Tsubo Jitate Orange Koshu 2021"

"Tsubo Jitate Orange Koshu 2021", which we had the special opportunity to taste on this occasion.

According to Mr. Shibuya, it was crafted by skillfully blending Koshu fermented in seven different ceramic jars in a well-balanced manner.

It boasts a pale orange hue and an understated yet fresh aroma.

While the attack is soft and pure, it delivers an astonishing level of umami.

The finish clearly displays astringency derived from the grape skins, resulting in a wine of vital energy that belies its 8.5% alcohol content.

According to Mr. Nakao, while overseas orange wines are often served at room temperature, an orange wine that tastes delicious when thoroughly chilled is an intriguing concept.

His comment that it achieved a distinctly Japanese flavor profile was entirely convincing.

Tasting Other Special Wines as Well!

At the tasting, special wines were also showcased, including "OH MY TOMBE", a phantom Domaine Hide wine that was previously unreleased and made into a private wine for Virtus.

Remarkably, it was made using Muscat Bailey A harvested from a small vineyard in Katsunuma surrounded by graves, and the label features a "ghost" motif design.

In addition to tasting vertical vintages of 2018, 2019, and 2020, we also had the chance to sample "BEBE", a staple Domaine Hide wine.

Furthermore, we sampled the "IWAI KAMOSHI-SPARKLING" series, a collaboration wine between "wa-syu" and Yamanashi winery Iwasaki Jozo (Chateau Honjo).

The clean finish that allows you to directly appreciate the appeal of Koshu was truly impressive...

Through this tasting, we once again learned that Japanese wine encompasses a wide variety of diverse charms.