Achievement
Japan Winery Award
Hokkaido Toyako Summit
Asahi Yoshu
Soleil Koshu
ソレイユ甲州 2022／旭洋酒
"While the aroma of ripe pears and candied mandarin oranges evokes a warm climate, when you take a sip, a lemon-like crisp acidity bursts, leading into a dense, stone fruit-like flavor.
The aftertaste is pleasantly and slightly bitter.
It fully expresses the goodness of Koshu as delicious water, without any unpleasantness."
Tasting note
Category
Wine
Type
White Wine
Producer
Asahi Yoshu
Production area
Japan Yamanashi Prefecture
Variety
Koshu 100% (DRY)
Fermentation
Stainless tank
Capacity
720 mL
ABV
12%
Recommended Pairings
yakitori (salt), tempura, river fish dishes like ayu, chilled shabu-shabu, raw oysters, oyster hotpot
Tasting from winery
Grapes from a limited number of contracted farmers are used, and to achieve a juice with rich aroma and subdued tannins, they are slowly pressed whole-bunch without destemming or crushing. After fermentation, the wine is stored in tanks with the lees to create a dry wine that combines freshness and savoriness, and it is finished unfiltered to enhance complexity. It can be enjoyed for its gradual maturation and the changing flavors from summer to fall, and winter to spring.
It has a pale lemon-yellow appearance, with a crisp aroma of Japanese citrus, honeyed apple, and mandarin blossoms. In the mouth, a voluminous fruitiness like quince and summer mandarin crushed with their peels is sustained alongside a lively acidity and the characteristic tannins of Koshu. The satisfyingly rich fruit flavor stands up to the higher acidity, promising enjoyable aging.
This year the fruit flavors are pronounced, suggesting it will also pair well with oil-based pasta dishes made with olive oil and garlic.
About the producer
Photo form Winerly's HP
It is characterized by a taste that is gentle to no end
In 2001, a small, unassuming cooperative winery nestled within a residential area in Yamanashi City, complete with licenses and equipment, was up for sale. It was then taken over by the Suzuki couple, who started the new Asahi Western Liquor the following year.
The first year of brewing was done entirely with purchased grapes, but the initial fermentation of Koshu grapes in barrels won a popularity vote among Yamanashi Prefecture wine enthusiasts held in 2003. In 2004, it was featured in the "World Wine Report 2004" published in the UK, which highlighted that 'an 80-year-old cooperative winemaking facility was revived by a young couple's winemaking team.'
Also, in the special edition of Wine Kingdom called "Japanese Wine Archipelago", the 2003 Soleil Koshu was selected as one of the 36 specially chosen domestic wines.
Since then, the winery has consistently made good wine from healthy grapes, earning positive evaluations from customers, among others.
Starting in 2018, at the 'Japan Winery Award', they gained an additional star in 2020, achieving a four-star rating, which is the second-highest level in the five-star system.
About the Production Area
Japan Yamanashi Prefecture
Photo form Winerly's HP
The Wine Kingdom of Japan
Yamanashi, the birthplace of Japanese wine. Wine brewing began approximately 140 years ago in Kofu. In the Kofu Basin, particularly on the east side where places like Katsunuma and former Shiroyama have significant diurnal temperature variations, grape cultivation advanced, and it was also in Yamanashi that major beverage manufacturers were quick to establish wineries.
Of course, Yamanashi Prefecture is number one in both wine production and the number of wineries in Japan. In addition to producing the native Japanese grape varieties Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, which have been garnering attention recently, high-quality wines are also being produced that pursue the terroir and individuality of the winery, from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and others.
