Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery
Chuo-ku, Osaka

Grapes: Merlot 83%, Muscat Bailey A 17%
Type: Red
Style: Dry, light-bodied
Colour: Medium ruby
Alcohol: 12%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: 20 ppm
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 13-16°C
Production: 810 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes
Blackcurrant, blackberry and plum. Moderate tannins and crisp acidity with flavours of the sweetness of blackberries and crayons that remind you of fermentation. Also a hint of lactose and sweet vinegar. Brown sugar-like aftertaste. Crisp and funky at 13°c, then enjoy changes as the temperature rises.

Food pairing
Simply sauteed pork, Balsamico vinegar, Chinese dishes with chili and/or Chinese fermented black beans, Japanese dishes with root vegetables, stewed chicken or pork, minced meat and herbs

Winemaking
Merlot and Muscat Bailey A grown in their own vineyards in Osaka were used. Each was destemmed and crushed, then fermented at low temperature with daily punching down for two weeks. The temperature was controlled at a constant room temperature (16-18°C) rather than tank by tank. The wine was then pressed in a basket press and matured for about 10 months in three- to five-year-old 230-litre French oak barrels before blending. 

The Merlot came from two vineyards, one on a steep slope in a mountain forest (70m altitude) where the yield has stabilised and the flavour has started to develop a strong character, and the other on a small hill surrounded by residential areas along the Yamato River (30m altitude) where it ripens early and the sugar content is easy to obtain. And Muscat Bailey A was grown next to Merlot in the vineyard surrounded by residential areas. This area was once destroyed by the 2018 storms and recovered, but unfortunately 2020 was the last harvest. This vintage was difficult to time the harvest as there was a lot of rain in August before the harvest period. Merlot from the vineyards surrounded by residential areas ripened early and was harvested in late August, just as the acidity began to drop off due to the high rainfall. Merlot from the vineyards on steep slopes ripen more slowly, with a lower sugar content, but with a higher acidity, and was harvested in early September. Muscat Bailey A was harvested in early September to allow the skins to fully colour.

The label depicts a colourful image of a mermaid drifting in the sunlit sea expressing the freshness of the wine and the feeling of floating weightlessly in the water after drinking it.