Chateau Kiri

Chateau Kiri sits on a beautiful plot of land at the foot of Mt. Kurikoma, not too far outside the Tohoku city of Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture. And everything they do is for their community. The project was founded in 2017, winemaking kicking off in the vintage of 2022. And since the beginning, they have committed to cultivating and fermenting grapes in a way that pays the utmost respect to the local ecosystem. That means avoiding chemical sprays in the vineyard and eschewing any addition in the cellar of any kind. The goal being to produce wines that treat the environment the same way as they treat the body of those consuming the wine – with care and respect. But the commitment to community support extends far beyond that. They double as an organization working directly with welfare groups in the area to provide employment and support to adults with disabilities. Through active engagement with Miyagi-area welfare offices and employment support groups, they provide employment opportunities in the vineyard and cellar, as well as utilising art from those in their community to feature on the wines.  The vineyard site sits on sandy and clay soils in fields converted from rice and soba farming. It is a coastal region at a relatively low altitude with a persistent breeze helping ventilate the rows, preserving freshness in the grapes, and keeping the worst of mildew pressure away. Their home vineyard is planted to Japanese and European origin varieties: Muscat Bailey A and Merlot, with a bit of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay, as well as newer plantings of Delaware in the process of reaching maturity. They supplement with quantities of Delaware and Koshu purchased from individual growers in neighboring Yamagata.  They focus on vinification in a clean, simple, and transparent style. Grape picking tends to occur on the earlier side, keeping brix levels slightly low and acid levels high, to birth wines that let the quality of the grape variety shine through unimpeded by additions or sulphur. These wines are great examples of the potential of these varieties to showcase varietal typicity and a paradigm of Japanese terroir. Chateau Kiri hopes these wines provide a bright future for all those involved.