There are very few wines in the world quite like this. Takahiko Soga sees himself as a farmer first and winemaker second — part of a local community of growers in Yoichi, regardless of whether the medium is grapes, apples or potatoes. That humility, combined with an obsessive commitment to craft, is precisely what makes his wines so extraordinary.
Yoichi Nobori is made in the style of Burgundy's Passetoutgrain — 98% Pinot Noir with 2% Zweigelt, the cold-resistant variety native to Yoichi, offered as an homage to the region. Wonderfully fragrant on the nose — fir, cedar, citrus and wild strawberries with a cool mineral thread running through — the palate is light, elegant and dry, with a quiet rondeur, good resonance, and a long, perfumed finish. At just 11.5% ABV, it is cool-climate Pinot Noir taken to its most refined expression.
Soga describes his wines not in terms of fruit and flowers, but of dashi, forest soils, mushrooms, and the fermented notes of shoyu and miso — aromas that emerge from the cool, humid, biodiverse landscape of Hokkaido and from his approach in the cellar. The 2023 vintage saw Yoichi's hottest year on record, and its lively acidity means it will reward patience — ideally until around 2030.
One of Japan's most sought-after bottles. Worth every moment of the wait.