2017 Kurambon Koshu N
Community Tasting Note
forceberry wrote:
Thursday, January 20, 2022 - The "N" in the name refers to the natural winemaking employed while making the wine. All the grapes are sourced from Toriihara, located in the Katsunuma sub-region within Yamanashi. Fermented spontaneously, aged in French oak casks, bottled unfiltered. 12% alcohol. Annual production 1000-1500 bottles.
Youthful and slightly hazy medium-deep yellow-green color. Ripe, fragrant and subtly wild nose with aromas of nectarine, some waxy funk, a little bit of savory spice, light nutty notes of slivered almond and a sweet hint of juicy cantaloupe. The wine is broad and even somewhat concentrated yet still very fresh and lively on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of apricots and sweet Golden Delicious apple, some gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of waxy funk, light steely mineral nuances, a hint of exotic spice and a floral touch of apple blossom. The high acidity lends great sense of intensity and structure to the wine. The finish is long, slightly concentrated and quite complex with intense flavors of ripe peach, waxy funk, some spicy red apple, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light smoky nuances of phenolic spice and a hint of nutty oak.
A very balanced, complex and surprisingly concentrated Koshu that is very true to the variety - not flashy, slightly restrained and even sort of neutral in character - yet at the same time showing remarkable depth, precision and complexity for this often very understated variety. What's more important, even though the wine is fully natural, it doesn't taste one bit natty - apart from its slightly waxy-funky overall character, the wine is wonderfully clean and conventional in every possible way. Delicious now, but I wouldn't be surprised if this continued to improve for years more. A bit on the pricey side for a Koshu at 3005¥ / 23€, but easily delivers for the price. Highly recommended.
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