Cuvée Misawa Blanc
VINTAGE 2021
Our Chardonnay, which grows in cool climate at an altitude of 700 m, is harvested at its perfect maturity after it turned golden in colour. Of the three Chardonnay parcels at the Misawa Vineyard, only grapes from sections with the best air circulation are used, rigorously selected for vinification into Cuvée Misawa Blanc, followed by gentle whole bunch press, then fermented and matured mostly in old French oak barrels.
Detail
Basic Data
- Production area
- Misawa Vineyard, Akeno town (cho), Yamanashi Prefecture
- Grape variety
- Chardonnay
- Altitude
- 700m
- Soil
- Clayey volcanic ash
- Vinification
- Fermentation in French oak barrels, maturation in barrels for 11 months
- Type
- White
- Style
- Dry
- Best to drink
- 2025+
Vintage
2021
March to May was blessed with good weather, with light to moderate rain and low to reasonable sunshine. Budding started off quickly, kicking off steady growth. The rainy season in June was also mild, with no diseases, and fruit set went well. The rainy season concluded 16 days earlier, sunny weather continued, and maturity started at the end of July. There was some stagnation due to heavy rain, lack of light, and low temperature in mid-August, but good weather continued from late August onwards, and the delay brought about by the cool summer was recovered. October was most peculiar. Temperature was high nationwide, but temperature differences between day and night were large. A patient wait for maturation was paid off with a satisfactory harvest.
2020
In 2020, the warm winter gave way to spring and budburst went well. With good rainfall and plenty of sunshine, flowering and fruit set went well. The rainy season brought long rains and lack of sunshine, slowing down the growth of the grapes, but with proper pest control and rain shade application, only minor damages were sustained. Summer came following the end of the rainy season, bringing fine weather, seeming to compensate for the earlier lack of sunshine. The delayed ripening of the grapes gradually recovered, with the start of Koshu harvest on par with previous years. Autumn rains in September and Typhoon no. 14 in October put us on high alert until the latter half of harvest. However, with the management of grapes to suitable ripeness, while removing infected berries, we were able to us to gather healthy grapes for vinification.
2019
Vine growth went smoothly from April to June, with little rain and plenty of sunlight. In other parts of the Yamanashi prefecture, there were rainy days in July, and August was cloudy, but the influence on Misawa Vineyard was limited, and impact on grapes was minimized via proper management. In September, the lingering summer heat was scorching, and fine weather persisted, enabling the slowed maturity period due to the late arrival of summer to catch up. Record typhoons and heavy rains struck the Japanese archipelago from mid- to late October, but fortunately damage was modest, and we were able to wait for proper ripening before harvest. By taking care of our vineyards meticulously up to harvest, we were able to enter harvest in the best possible conditions. Acidity levels were generally high for the 2019 vintage, and the resulting wines were tight with tension.
2018
The growing season (April-June) was light in rain with plenty of sunshine, advancing growth for about one week compared to the normal year. Coupled with little disease pressure, Chardonnay flowered in early June. Moderate rainfall and fine weather continued, bringing about véraison in mid- and late July, followed by an earlier than usual harvest. The good weather in the first half of the harvest enabled us to obtain the same yield as normal, even though during second half, grape picking had to be done between rains.
2017
In 2017, rainfall was very low in both the early summer and during the rainy season, bringing positive effects to flowering and fruiting, leading to natural yield restrictions. I recalled we were expecting a great vintage. The blue summer sky spreaded throughout August. In September, temperature differences between day and night exceeded 20 degrees Celsius.
Chardonnay was blessed with fine weather, which let the harvest occur during the cool night hours until dawn, enabling us to pursue the highest quality. You will be able to enjoy the natural balance between grape ripeness and refreshing acidity.
2016
Budbreak in 2016 started earliest compared to record, due to the higher than usual temperature following the warm winter. May continued to be balmier than normal, and sunshine hours were abundant, bringing shoot growth and bloom ahead of schedule.
The weather during the worrying rainy season was better than expected, but from mid- to late August, cloudy weather persisted due to the effects of typhoon, succeeded by the autumn rain front. The blue sky returned again early September, but there was continual rainfall for about a month after, yielding the lowest daylight hours we experienced in the last few years. It was a series of hard vineyard work towards maturity, including the removal of diseased fruit. A blessed first half of the growing season by good weather, ended-up in a laborious last half during maturity. The red "Cuvée Misawa" could not be made, and the "Cuvee Misawa Blanc", which we produced only 3 barrels, became our treasure.
It was a vintage where under challenging weather, valuing the basics was paramount.
Winemaker’s Message
The history of Grace Wine's Chardonnay began in the 1990s with a small plot of vineyard on the hills of Katsunuma.
When I first tasted the 1996 and 1997 vintages of Cuvée Misawa Blanc, I was surprised by its rich aroma, complex flavour and ageing potential, impressed and said to myself, "Chardonnay is really that good?"
Our respect and admiration for this noble variety was inherited by Misawa Vineyard in Akeno, where Cuvee Misawa Blanc is now produced, mainly from the most well-ventilated plots.
The Misawa Vineyard is oriented north-south, so that the wind blows through it all year round.
There is only one plot of Chardonnay in the vineyard, of the size of a cat's forehead, with ridges stretching from east to west. The ridges face the Southern Alps to the west, and when stood on the hillside, you can feel how much my father's love for this vineyard is because of his fondness for the Southern Alps.
The first Chardonnay vineyard was planted in the Hishiyama district of Katsunuma. When I was young, my father told me that at Hishiyama there was a secret place which was the only spot in Katsunuma where the Southern Alps could be seen.
I am hoping the Chardonnay can express the aesthetic ridge lines of the Southern Alps by believing in the potential of the grapes and making the most out of it, for example, by limiting yields and occasional night-harvesting.
Cuvée Misawa Blanc
VINTAGE 2021
Our Chardonnay, which grows in cool climate at an altitude of 700 m, is harvested at its perfect maturity after it turned golden in colour. Of the three Chardonnay parcels at the Misawa Vineyard, only grapes from sections with the best air circulation are used, rigorously selected for vinification into Cuvée Misawa Blanc, followed by gentle whole bunch press, then fermented and matured mostly in old French oak barrels.
Detail
Basic Data
- Production area
- Misawa Vineyard, Akeno town (cho), Yamanashi Prefecture
- Grape variety
- Chardonnay
- Altitude
- 700m
- Soil
- Clayey volcanic ash
- Vinification
- Fermentation in French oak barrels, maturation in barrels for 11 months
- Type
- White
- Style
- Dry
- Best to drink
- 2025+
Vintage
2021
March to May was blessed with good weather, with light to moderate rain and low to reasonable sunshine. Budding started off quickly, kicking off steady growth. The rainy season in June was also mild, with no diseases, and fruit set went well. The rainy season concluded 16 days earlier, sunny weather continued, and maturity started at the end of July. There was some stagnation due to heavy rain, lack of light, and low temperature in mid-August, but good weather continued from late August onwards, and the delay brought about by the cool summer was recovered. October was most peculiar. Temperature was high nationwide, but temperature differences between day and night were large. A patient wait for maturation was paid off with a satisfactory harvest.
2020
In 2020, the warm winter gave way to spring and budburst went well. With good rainfall and plenty of sunshine, flowering and fruit set went well. The rainy season brought long rains and lack of sunshine, slowing down the growth of the grapes, but with proper pest control and rain shade application, only minor damages were sustained. Summer came following the end of the rainy season, bringing fine weather, seeming to compensate for the earlier lack of sunshine. The delayed ripening of the grapes gradually recovered, with the start of Koshu harvest on par with previous years. Autumn rains in September and Typhoon no. 14 in October put us on high alert until the latter half of harvest. However, with the management of grapes to suitable ripeness, while removing infected berries, we were able to us to gather healthy grapes for vinification.
2019
Vine growth went smoothly from April to June, with little rain and plenty of sunlight. In other parts of the Yamanashi prefecture, there were rainy days in July, and August was cloudy, but the influence on Misawa Vineyard was limited, and impact on grapes was minimized via proper management. In September, the lingering summer heat was scorching, and fine weather persisted, enabling the slowed maturity period due to the late arrival of summer to catch up. Record typhoons and heavy rains struck the Japanese archipelago from mid- to late October, but fortunately damage was modest, and we were able to wait for proper ripening before harvest. By taking care of our vineyards meticulously up to harvest, we were able to enter harvest in the best possible conditions. Acidity levels were generally high for the 2019 vintage, and the resulting wines were tight with tension.
2018
The growing season (April-June) was light in rain with plenty of sunshine, advancing growth for about one week compared to the normal year. Coupled with little disease pressure, Chardonnay flowered in early June. Moderate rainfall and fine weather continued, bringing about véraison in mid- and late July, followed by an earlier than usual harvest. The good weather in the first half of the harvest enabled us to obtain the same yield as normal, even though during second half, grape picking had to be done between rains.
2017
In 2017, rainfall was very low in both the early summer and during the rainy season, bringing positive effects to flowering and fruiting, leading to natural yield restrictions. I recalled we were expecting a great vintage. The blue summer sky spreaded throughout August. In September, temperature differences between day and night exceeded 20 degrees Celsius.
Chardonnay was blessed with fine weather, which let the harvest occur during the cool night hours until dawn, enabling us to pursue the highest quality. You will be able to enjoy the natural balance between grape ripeness and refreshing acidity.
2016
Budbreak in 2016 started earliest compared to record, due to the higher than usual temperature following the warm winter. May continued to be balmier than normal, and sunshine hours were abundant, bringing shoot growth and bloom ahead of schedule.
The weather during the worrying rainy season was better than expected, but from mid- to late August, cloudy weather persisted due to the effects of typhoon, succeeded by the autumn rain front. The blue sky returned again early September, but there was continual rainfall for about a month after, yielding the lowest daylight hours we experienced in the last few years. It was a series of hard vineyard work towards maturity, including the removal of diseased fruit. A blessed first half of the growing season by good weather, ended-up in a laborious last half during maturity. The red "Cuvée Misawa" could not be made, and the "Cuvee Misawa Blanc", which we produced only 3 barrels, became our treasure.
It was a vintage where under challenging weather, valuing the basics was paramount.
Winemaker’s Message
The history of Grace Wine's Chardonnay began in the 1990s with a small plot of vineyard on the hills of Katsunuma.
When I first tasted the 1996 and 1997 vintages of Cuvée Misawa Blanc, I was surprised by its rich aroma, complex flavour and ageing potential, impressed and said to myself, "Chardonnay is really that good?"
Our respect and admiration for this noble variety was inherited by Misawa Vineyard in Akeno, where Cuvee Misawa Blanc is now produced, mainly from the most well-ventilated plots.
The Misawa Vineyard is oriented north-south, so that the wind blows through it all year round.
There is only one plot of Chardonnay in the vineyard, of the size of a cat's forehead, with ridges stretching from east to west. The ridges face the Southern Alps to the west, and when stood on the hillside, you can feel how much my father's love for this vineyard is because of his fondness for the Southern Alps.
The first Chardonnay vineyard was planted in the Hishiyama district of Katsunuma. When I was young, my father told me that at Hishiyama there was a secret place which was the only spot in Katsunuma where the Southern Alps could be seen.
I am hoping the Chardonnay can express the aesthetic ridge lines of the Southern Alps by believing in the potential of the grapes and making the most out of it, for example, by limiting yields and occasional night-harvesting.
