"Hikari Koshu 2018," produced by Lumiere Co., Ltd., has won the Platinum Medal at the "Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2021" held in London, UK.
This marks the company's first time winning a Platinum Medal at the "Decanter World Wine Awards."
Among the Japanese wines entered this time, only Shirayuri Winery and Lumiere received Platinum Medals—just two labels, both from Yamanashi Prefecture, gaining worldwide acclaim.
About the "Decanter World Wine Awards"
The "Decanter World Wine Awards" is one of the world's largest international wine competitions, organized by the British wine magazine "Decanter."
Launched in 2004, the "Decanter World Wine Awards 2021" saw an all-time record of 18,093 entries from 56 countries across the globe.
Judging was conducted through blind tastings by approximately 170 of the world's leading wine experts, who evaluated entries rigorously across multiple stages.
Award-winning wines are selected for Best in Show, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
About the Platinum-winning wine
The wine that received the Platinum Medal at the "Decanter World Wine Awards 2021" is Lumiere's "Hikari Koshu 2018."
It uses Koshu grapes grown in their own estate vineyards.
It is a white wine finished through barrel fermentation followed by 20 months of barrel aging.
It is characterized by concentrated fruit aromas accompanied by powerful scents reminiscent of butter and roasted nuts, along with a rich, full-bodied palate where moderate acidity and umami blend harmoniously.
According to Lumiere, although 2018 was a year with low Koshu yields due to weather conditions, they carefully crafted the wine using only carefully selected, top-quality grapes, resulting in a wine of exceptional flavor and quality.
It is a bottle that makes Japanese wine fans feel truly proud.
Yamanashi wine is truly amazing after all!
This time, not only Lumiere's "Hikari Koshu 2018"...
- Chateau Lumiere 2015 (Red)
- Sparkling Orange 2019
also won Bronze Medals at the "Decanter World Wine Awards 2021."
Furthermore, as mentioned at the beginning, "L'Orient Katsunuma Koshu 2019" from Shirayuri Winery, one of the prominent wineries representing Yamanashi Prefecture alongside Lumiere, received the Platinum Medal, achieving the highest score and top award in Japan.
In addition, the winery's "Koshu Vigne de Nakagawa 2020" and "L'Orient Cellar Master Muscat Bailey A 2019" won Bronze Medals, leading to results where Yamanashi Prefecture's wines were recognized internationally.
In recent years, many wonderful wineries have emerged across various regions of Japan, but Yamanashi Prefecture is truly amazing after all.
It was delightful news that makes one feel that way.
Japanese wine can still evolve even further!
Regarding this award, Shigeki Kida, President and Representative Director of Lumiere Co., Ltd., commented: "With the goal of crafting wines that pair well with the Japanese dining table, the daily dedication primarily from our vineyard and winemaking staff has been highly evaluated, which is a great honor. Moving forward, we intend to strive even harder to produce high-quality wines in order to spread the charm of Japanese wine throughout the world."
"Hikari" is Lumiere's signature series made exclusively with grapes from their estate vineyards, and receiving high global acclaim for it is extremely delightful news for Japanese wine fans as well.
Incidentally, "Hikari Koshu 2018" reportedly sold out immediately after the awards were announced...
The Bronze-winning "Chateau Lumiere 2015 (Red)" and "Sparkling Orange 2019" are available for purchase, so please be sure to check them out.
Reference
Lumiere Co., Ltd.
Head Office / Winery Shop / Restaurant "Zelkowa"
624 Minami-Noro, Ichinomiya-cho, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi 405-0052 TEL 0553-47-0207 FAX 0553-47-2001
Tokyo Branch Office / Wine Shop "In Vino Veritas"
Shiozaki Bldg. B1, 2-7-1 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093 TEL 03-3222-8860 FAX 03-3265-0066