This was one of the bottles included in Ukiki’s New Year lucky bag this year. Ideally, it should probably have been left to rest a bit longer, but it happened to catch my eye in the cellar, so I decided to open it. (Note: I drank this before my blood pressure started going up.)
However, my first impression on the palate was, “Ugh… this is not good.” There was a somewhat chemical, rather odd nuance to it.
As I kept drinking, thinking it might be a flawed bottle, the unpleasant note gradually became less noticeable as the alcohol took effect, and it became reasonably drinkable.
The concentration is moderate and the acidity is fairly casual. It’s not the kind of wine that could be mistaken for Hermitage, but considering that it was one of the bottles in a ¥15,000 lucky bag set, I thought it was more than respectable.
If I had let it rest for a few years—or at least for about six months—it might have been more enjoyable from the very first day. If fortune smiles, perhaps I’ll encounter it again in next year’s lucky bag.