Manotsuru Junmai Daiginjo MIKU (72 cl)

Made from Koshitanrei rice grown on the island of Sado, this Junmai Daiginjo ‘Manotsuru Miku’ sake won the Gold Medal at the Kura Master 2017 competition and the Silver Medal at the 2019 International Wine Challenge (IWC). This is probably due to Sado’s own rice-growing technique of using the nutrients in oyster shells to enrich the water used to irrigate the rice fields, which is certified as ‘welfare-friendly agriculture for Japanese crested ibis’, aiming both to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and to produce healthy and delicious rice.

As its name suggests in Japanese, this heady sake that perfectly matches with poultry, fish or meat dishes accompanied by fruit sauces (orange, pineapple, etc.) evokes the arrival of the harvest through its fresh, fragrant taste and its delicate smell of rice and tropical fruit. This aroma is further enhanced when served in a wine glass.

About the Obata Brewery

Founded in 1892, Obata is known for taking great care in brewing its sakes and sparing no effort. In particular, its brewers disregard the winter holidays and prefer to stay on site and work from early morning. For the rice, in particular, the company is in partnership with Aida Rice Farming and its oyster shell-based agriculture: the water irrigating the rice fields passes through filters made of oyster shells that provide nutrients and micro-organisms. This practice greatly reduces the use of chemical fertilisers and has impressed 3-star French chef Christopher Coutanceau for its environmental qualities.

Obata’s sakes, characterised by their clarity and elegant umami, are not only recognised at home, but are also praised abroad, where they regularly win medals at the French Kura Master competition and the British International Wine Challenge. They are also among the spirits selected by Air France for first and business class flights.

Since 2014, the company has also had a second building: an abandoned school that has been converted into a sake brewery. This school-brewery has become the ideal place for brewery apprentices, among whom there are now many foreigners.