Yamazaki Winery is one of Hokkaido’s pioneering wine estates, founded in 1974 in the Tokachi region of Japan’s northernmost main island and now producing wines from a combination of estate-grown and contracted vineyards on the volcanic and alluvial soils of the Tokachi plain, at latitudes that produce a continental climate of extreme growing season length and cold winter temperatures that require the most cold-hardy varieties and careful canopy management. Hokkaido has attracted international attention as Japan’s most promising fine wine region over the past decade, with its combination of cool summer temperatures, long daylight hours and volcanic mineral soils providing distinctive growing conditions for Pinot Noir and a range of other cool-climate varieties. The Blue Label designation identifies Yamazaki’s premium Pinot Noir expression within the estate’s range, produced from the winery’s finest vineyard selections and intended to demonstrate the full potential of Hokkaido Pinot Noir at the estate’s highest quality level.

Pinot Noir in Hokkaido faces the specific challenge of the island’s cold winters and unpredictable spring frosts, which require both cold-hardy root systems and careful vintage-by-vintage canopy and harvest management. The finest Hokkaido Pinot Noir producers, including Yamazaki, have addressed these challenges through careful site selection, sustainable farming and a winemaking approach that emphasises natural fermentation and minimal intervention, allowing the specific character of the volcanic and alluvial Tokachi soils to express itself in the wine’s aromatic and flavour profile. The 2023 growing season in Hokkaido was well-regarded among the island’s producers for its combination of warm summer temperatures and dry harvest conditions.

Hokkaido wine, and Yamazaki in particular, represents one of Japan’s most distinctive contributions to the world fine wine map: wines produced at extreme cool-climate latitudes from volcanic mineral-rich soils, whose character is genuinely unlike that of any other Pinot Noir-producing region in the world. For collectors who follow Japanese fine wine with attention and for those who seek distinctive and genuinely individual expressions of cool-climate Pinot Noir from outside the conventional fine wine regions, Yamazaki Blue Label is a rewarding and intellectually stimulating proposition.

Ruby with a delicate and mineral nose of red cherry, strawberry, rose petal, light spice and the distinctive volcanic mineral quality of Hokkaido’s Tokachi soils. Light to medium-bodied with silky, refined tannins, fresh natural acidity and a long, elegant, mineral finish of genuine individuality. Drink now through 2030.