The latest release from Kimura Cellars by Shigehisa Kimura, a Japanese winemaker active in New Zealand, is now available in limited quantities!
The long-awaited arrival of Bokumo Wine! The amazing wine from the amazing Mr. Kimura has arrived.
So, how amazing is it? I, sommelier Iwasu, will explain a little bit about it.
Kimura Cellars' Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019, released last year, won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2020!
The IWC is the world's largest alcohol competition, held since 1984. It is also known as the Olympics of wine. It is held in London, England. Judges from around the world, including Masters of Wine, who are experts in the alcohol industry, judge the wines in a blind tasting, without revealing the brand. Wines are scored out of a maximum of 100 points, and those who score 95 points or more are awarded a gold medal. Information about the award is disseminated worldwide, and of course the winners can also have the award mark on their labels.
It's amazing that Pinot Noir won the award at this competition. After all, Pinot Noir is a world-renowned high-end variety. Naturally, the judges will be very strict, but it won the gold medal. Amazing.
We can now say that this wine has been recognized as a world-class wine. When I heard the news of the award, I couldn't help but pump my fist in excitement.
Thinking back, I first met Mr. Kimura about six or seven years ago. We were introduced to Mr. Kimura by some of our seniors in the same industry, and since then, we have met almost every year when Mr. Kimura returns to Japan to talk about the hardships he faced back home and his passion for winemaking.
Whenever I talked to him, I always thought, "He's a very serious person." He's originally a hotelier, so he's very gentle-spoken. And he speaks politely. From his gentle and polite way of speaking, I can tell how serious Kimura-san is about his work in New Zealand. He's the kind of person that really makes you want to support him.
Now, I would like to review two new wines that have just arrived in Japan this year: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Let's start with Pinot Noir, whose 2019 vintage won an IWC gold medal last year and, as expected, sold out in a flash.
①Kimura Cellars Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020
| item | Content |
|---|---|
| Origin | Marlborough |
| kinds | red |
| Grape variety | Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcohol content | 13.0% |
| capacity | 750ml |
| others | BioGro Certified |
| remarks | Screw Cap |
Up until 2018, the impression was that it had a light and elegant taste, but the 2019, which won a gold medal, had a concentrated black fruit flavor, and was a very dense and complex Pinot. With that in mind, this 2020 is...
Good! Very good! It has the concentrated flavor of the 2019, but also has a well-rounded umami taste and a very deep flavor.
It's rich, but smooth. It doesn't lose the finesse of Pinot. The tannins are smooth and pleasant. Wow, it's amazing. It's a wonderfully delicious Pinot.
When you try it with duck meat, it's heavenly...
This wine is marked with the BioGro mark, New Zealand's organic certification system, known for its extremely strict standards.
②Kimura Cellars Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
| item | Content |
|---|---|
| Origin | Marlborough |
| kinds | white |
| Grape variety | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Alcohol content | 13.0% |
| capacity | 750ml |
| others | BioGro Certified |
| remarks | Screw Cap |
This wine has the mark of Kimura's own vineyard, "Home Block Vineyard." This means that the wine was made by their own hands from start to finish.
Kimura's SB has the impression of having a taste that combines the impression of lively fruit with the delicacy that is typical of Japanese people, but this year's 2021 seems to have an even more delicate taste.
Marlborough SB is characterized by the fruit flavor of grapefruit and passion fruit, but this wine evokes the image of "Japanese citrus fruits". Yes, the expressions "kabosu, sudachi" fit well. And the lingering bitter aftertaste is irresistible.
I paired it with chicken cutlet. The sauce seemed to overpower the wine, so I sprinkled a little salt (Marlborough sea salt) on it and it went perfectly.
I think that any side dish that can be made by squeezing kabosu or sudachi would probably go well with it.
This wine also has the BioGro certification mark from this year.
My overall impression is...
The Pinot Noir is as expected, and it really is an international standard Pinot.
I discovered that when a Japanese person makes Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, it can have such a delicate flavor. The facial expression after drinking it is not a big open-mouthed smile, but rather a slight turn up of the corners of the mouth. That's the image I get.
When Otani took off his hat to show his appreciation during the game, and when Kubo bowed deeply after scoring a goal, I felt that they were very Japanese, even though they were overseas. I felt a similar sensation when I tried Kimura Cellars wine.
So, Kimura Cellars, which has arrived in limited quantities, is now on sale at Bokumo Wine.
Please come early!
