Tōmi City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Yutaka Nakajima embodies the archetype of a Japanese winemaker: low-key, thoughtful and deeply hands-on. From his small mountain house, he farms quietly and works in the cellar entirely by hand, using self-made, hand-cranked wooden tools to craft wines of quiet precision.

At 850 metres above sea level in Tomi, Nagano, Domaine Nakajima sits within the Chikumagawa Wine Valley. The region's cooler, drier climate, closer to Europe than much of Japan, allows for the planting of primarily French varieties. Since 2011, Nakajima has cultivated Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Chenin Blanc on a small slope threaded with wild grasses and herbs. In 2019, he added a higher-altitude site planted to Savagnin and Pinot Noir. Production remains tiny, just a few thousand bottles annually, alongside a charming pét-nat made with local growers from the traditional hybrid grape Kyoho.

Table Wine Blanc 2024

Early-harvest Delaware grapes were shade-dried for up to four weeks, then foot-trodden and basket-pressed before fermenting in resin tanks. Bottled during malolactic fermentation for a gentle natural pétillance, with no additives and 11% alcohol. Bright and expressive, with notes of melon, golden kiwi and green apple layered over peach nectar and a hint of anmitsu. Subtle fruit sweetness meets fresh acidity, finishing with a fine, balancing bitterness.