ZoomVerde2023
Fattoria AL FIOREファットリア アル フィオーレ
Kawasaki Town, Miyagi, Japan
About this wine
Verde is Fattoria AL FIORE's Cabernet Sauvignon bottling, sourced from the estate's 2.3 hectares of volcanic-ash soils at the foot of Miyagi's Zao mountains. Cabernet Sauvignon is unusual at this latitude in Japan; harvest-season rain is the chronic enemy, and the 11% alcohol on the 2023 release reflects an early pick rather than full physiological ripeness. Hirotaka and Reina Meguro work the vineyard with grass-cover cultivation and three-year-matured pomace compost; in the cellar there is nothing but wild-yeast fermentation and minimal handling, no added sulphites, élevage across stainless steel and amphora as required. The result is a light, almost Cabernet-Franc-feeling Japanese Cabernet, savoury and herbal, built for the table rather than for the cellar.
Winemaking
As of 2023, this cuvée is made exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon. A portion of the grapes undergo inboshi (drying in the shade), while another portion is vinified as a Blanc de Noir through direct pressing.