WINE LIST
Akeno
VINTAGE 2018
Aiming for a wine that provides a glimpse of the place where it is from, we have decided to combine the three second wines “Grace Merlot”, “Grace Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Grace Cabernet Franc”, whose varieties are listed on the front label, into a single wine from the 2017 vintage.
This new wine is “Akeno”, the name reflects our cherishment for the place where it is from.
After rigorous selection in the vineyard and the winery, small lots were selected and vinified separately with scrupulous attention to details as well as gentle extraction. Each variety or lot was matured in French oak barrels and bottled without clarification or filtration.
| Region | Misawa Vineyards, Akeno, Yamanashi prefecture |
|---|---|
| Grape Varieties | Merlot (39%) Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) Petit Verdot (14%) Cabernet Franc (12%) |
| Vinification | Maturation in French oak for 18 months |
| Type | Red wine |
| When to drink | 2021～ |
| Retail Price | Open |
2018 Vintage
The severe cold at the beginning of the year turned around with the arrival of an early spring. During the rainy season, the fronts were less stagnant than usual, leading to almost no continuous rainfall, and ended early in June for the first time in the history of observation, and grape maturation progressed ahead of time. July and August saw record-breaking heat, promoting fast and healthy growth. In September, there was continuous autumn rain and two large typhoons, but the weather gradually stabilized in the latter half of October. Due to careful pruning and pre-véraison yield restrictions, the yield was about 30% less than usual.
Since we produced only 3 barrels of “Cuvée Misawa”, all wines normally reserved for the First Label were passed on to “Akeno”.
2017 Vintage
In 2017, there was very little rain during early summer and the rainy season, bringing positive effects on flowering and fruiting, leading to natural yield restriction, showing early signs for a great vintage. The blue summer sky spreaded in August, and temperature differences between day and night exceeded 20 degrees in September. Although there were two typhoons in October, accumulation of the positive effects due to the fine weather, and the nailing of the optimal maturity, followed by harvesting at the right time yielded an ideal vintage that expresses the “2017-ness” vintage characteristics.
By lowering the ratio of new barrels, we produced a wine full of varietal characteristics and a sense of place.
[Grape Varieties]
Merlot (56％)
Cabernet Sauvignon (24％)
Cabernet Franc (16％)
Petit Verdot (4％)
