GRAPE SHIP
Kurashiki, Okayama

Grapes: Muscat of Alexandria 75%, Syrah 25%
Type: Rosé sami-sparkling
Style: Dry, light-bodied
Colour: Deep salmon
Alcohol: 8%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: No
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 5-8°C
Production: 2,591 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes
Aromas of redcurrant and cranberry with hints of flowers, muscat, quince and fig. Flavours reminiscent of blood orange with a moderate bitterness like pink grapefruit. Dry, light mouthfeel. The wine has a longer finish and more complexity than in previous years.

Food pairing
Salmon carpaccio, gambas al ajillo, salad with strawberries and burrata cheese, pork saute, roast beef

Winemaking
Muscat of Alexandria and Syrah grapes grown organically in Funao, Kurashiki, a grape-growing region. The soil is well-drained sandy loam. The grapes harvested in late September were placed in tanks by variety and macerated for two weeks each, followed by two days of punching down, pressing and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Towards the end of fermentation, the wine was blended and bottled with the juice of Muscat of Alexandria, followed by secondary fermentation in bottle. Unfined, unfined, unfiltered and completely free of sulphites.

2023 was a year in which the harvest was lower than in 2022 due to a longer rainy season, which resulted in more diseased grapes. The overall yield was reduced by removing diseased grapes during the growing season, but this resulted in a greater concentration of each individual grape. Furthermore, the weather was favourable in early autumn, resulting in a good year. 

As the wine is made from grapes grown in Japan, it is named after a single kanji character, ‘朱’(= slightly yellowish red), to express its Japanese character. It has been used in shrines, temples and palaces as a colour for longevity and to ward off evil. The wine also expresses the wish that those who take this wine in their hands will have a healthy time.

The wine label features a motif of the sun rising between the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The sunrise scene from Kojima, a port town in Kurashiki City where winemaker Kazunori Matsui was born and raised, was expressed by a classmate of his who works at the art space Aburakame. Kazunori, whose father was a sailor, also says that the label seems to be guiding him as he ‘sets sail’ on his winemaking journey with his ‘GRAPE SHIP’ colleagues. A wine suitable for celebrating beginnings and departures.

Nutrition Facts per 100ml
Energy: 77 kcal
Fat: 0 g
 - Saturates: 0 g
Carbohydrate: 4.0 g
 - Sugar: 4.0 g
Protein: 0.1 g
Salt: 0g