Lumiere Ishigura 2020
Type: Red
Country: Japan
Region: Yamanashi Prefecture
Grape Variety: 100% Muscat Bailey A
Alcohol Percentage: 12%
Viticulture: Natural Wine | Organic Farming
Climate: Temperate climate with significant rainfall
Terroir: Grapes are grown with the pergola trellising method to protect the bunches during periods of summer rainfall. Vineyards grow on a soilbed of rocks and decomposed granite, providing great drainage
Ageing: Aged in traditional underground granite stone tanks (Ishigura) that were constructed in 1901. A total of 10 such fermenters were built, with an underground passage running through 10 such units, side by side. Built with the purpose of holding large quantities of wine, each fermenter can roughly hold 10,000 litres. In 1998, the Ishigura fermentation tank was officially certified as a tangible cultural property of Japan, and designated as a key component of Japan’s cultural heritage in 2018. This unique winemaking method involves plenty of manual labour, from using handcrafted bamboo drainboards as a filtration device to getting underground to drain out the final wine from the mouth of the stone storehouse.
Color: Ruby red
Nose: Aromas of strawberries and pickled ginger
Palate: Elegant structure with notes of red fruits and vanilla over a jammy body
About the Winery:
Established in 1885, Lumiere is a family-owned winery located in the Yamanashi prefecture, a historical region renowned for its wine production. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, whilst being a spectacular sight, the region offers great potential and an ideal microclimate for vinegrowing. Vines here grow on a soilbed of rocks and decomposed granite, offering great drainage.
Lumiere encourages biodiversity in their vineyards, where various organisms coexist in a healthy ecosystem. Winemaking is practised as manually as possible to maintain control, starting from the hand-harvesting of grapes.
