The Japanese are doing a great job.
Shohei Otani, Takefusa Kubo, and Shigehisa Kimura.
Well, each of them is doing a great job. And they're all still young. I have high expectations for them in the future.
picture?
I don't know about the third one. That's weird. To me, these three are almost on the same level.
Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball and Kubo of Mallorca in the Spanish soccer league.
Then there's Kimura from Marlboro and Kimura Cellars.
that's right!
The Japanese winemaker who is doing great things in New Zealand is Shigehisa Kimura! Mrs.
Of course, there are differences in the genres they work in and how they are covered in the media, but they are the same in that they are "Japanese people with ambition, who crossed the ocean, worked hard, and are now internationally recognized."
That's right. Kimura-san, you are very highly regarded internationally.
If you don't know, I want you to find out today!
What is being praised is Kimura Cellars' "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019" , which was released last year. This wine won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2020 !!!
This is amazing.
What it's like... (The following is a bit technical so you can skip it)
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 where the brands are hidden. 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.
(You can skip this part)
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.
It can now be said that it has been recognized as a world-class wine .
When I heard the news that I had won, I couldn't help but pump my fist in excitement.
Thinking back, Mr. Kimura and I met about six or seven years ago.
I was introduced to Kimura by some of my seniors in the same industry (Thank you, Hashimoto-san and Shinohara-san!), and since then I have met him almost every year when he returns to Japan to talk about the hardships he faced there 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 and talks 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 makes everyone want to support him.
Since then, every year when Kimura's new wines arrive, I have served them to customers at my restaurant, Bokumo , and this year, we are finally opening a store specializing in New Zealand wines, Bokumo Wine .
Now we can spread the word about Kimura's wonderful wines not only to our customers in Nagoya, but all over Japan! What a joy!
In normal years, the wines would arrive a little earlier than usual, but this year, due to the effects of COVID-19, it seems that the arrival in Japan was slightly delayed. I was eagerly waiting for this year's wine to arrive.
And finally!
It arrived last week!!!
Now, I would like to review two new wines (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir) that have just arrived in Japan this year, as well as the Chardonnay that was released a while ago.
Let's start with Pinot Noir, whose 2019 vintage won an IWC Gold Award last year and, as expected, sold out in a flash.
Kimura Cellars Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020
Up until 2018, the impression was that it had a light and elegant taste, but the 2019, which won a gold medal, was a Pinot with a concentrated black fruit flavor, a very dense and complex flavor.
With that in mind, this 2020...
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, without losing the finesse of Pinot. The tannins are silky and pleasant.
Wow, it's amazing, a beautifully delicious Pinot.
When you try it with duck meat, it's heavenly...
This wine is marked with BioGro , a New Zealand organic certification system known for its extremely strict standards.
Kimura Cellars Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
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. I thought the wine would be overpowered if I added sauce, so I sprinkled some salt (Marlborough sea salt) on it. It went perfectly.
I think that any side dish that can be made by squeezing kabosu or sudachi would probably go well with this.
This wine also has the BioGro certification mark from this year.
Kimura Cellars Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
This was Kimura's first attempt. He had never tried Chardonnay before, but for the 2020 vintage he tried the Chardonnay variety, which is everyone's favorite.
The result was a great success, wasn't it?
Chardonnay is a grape variety that is naturally not very distinctive and highly adaptable. In other words, it will not get in the way of any side dish that comes with it. When Kimura brings out the charm of Chardonnay, it becomes like this, I understand.
The gentle aroma of green apple and lime is accompanied by a slightly bitter taste reminiscent of Japanese citrus fruits. The flavor is delicate.
This is a Chardonnay that goes well with Japanese food. It has a strong umami flavor, so it goes well with Japanese food that has a strong umami flavor. Even if the food is light in flavor, this wine will not overpower it but will gently accompany it.
It went really well with fried horse mackerel, and also went well with the accompanying salad.
My overall impression is...
The Pinot Noir is as expected, and it really is an international standard Pinot.
I discovered that Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay can be so delicate and flavorful when made in New Zealand by Japanese people. The facial expression after drinking them 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 during the game to show his gratitude,
When Kubo bowed deeply after scoring a goal,
Ah, even though I'm overseas, I feel very Japanese.
I got a similar feeling from Kimura Cellars' wines.
So, we are now selling Kimura Cellars Box Wine, which has arrived in limited quantities.
Please come early!
▶ Kimura Cellars latest 3-piece set
Single item here
▶ Kimura Cellars Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020
