Aperture Farm - It's Me Chenin Blanc 2019 (375ml)

A super interesting dry Chenin Blanc from Japan. Not a sweet wine despite the bottle size.

Ryo’s Chenin Blanc had many difficult vintages. In 2019, the sugar content rose, and the grapes were ripe enough to be harvested. This Chenin Blanc has a high alcohol content of 14.3%, making it a very rich wine.

If you like Japanese sake, you can almost feel the aroma of Kijoshu. It's not a sweet wine by any means; it's quite dry, and rather than being used as an accompaniment, it's a wine to be enjoyed slowly before or after a meal.

Ryo decided that bottling this wine in a half bottle (375ml) would be better than bottling it in a 750ml bottle to convey its appeal.

THE ESTATE

Nestled at the foot of the Zao mountain range in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi is Fattoria al Fiore, a winery that sits housed within a former school gymnasium. Established in 2015 by Hirotaka and Reina Meguro, the old basketball court now plays home to a sea of amphora filled with the likes of Koshu, Delaware, and Muscat A Baily.

Al Fiore, meaning ‘single flower’ in Japanese, is named after Hirotaka’s former restaurant. The winery is operated by Hirotaka and his wife Reina, supported by a small team who produce around 15,000 bottles per year.

As expected with all things Japanese, each wine is made with precision and care. With grapes both difficult to source and grow, every grape must be treated with respect. Each bottle number is hand written and dyed using persimmon fruit.

Their wines are made up of both vinifera and labrusca grapes, commonly known as hybrid / table grapes. Varieties include Delaware, Steuben, and Niagara which bring an alluring perfume of ripe fruits and flowers unlike no other. They are extremely delicate wines, matching perfectly with the subtle flavors of Japanese cuisine.

Reina & Hirotaka make their wines as naturally as possible. There are no additives used, no fining or filtration either. Production is extremely small, and so allocations are very limited. We are extremely lucky to have them here in Australia.