{"product_id":"grace-cuvee-misawa-blanc-2020","title":"Grace Cuvee Misawa Blanc 2020","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGrace Winery (Chuo Budoshu) was founded in 1923 by Chotaro Misawa in Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture — the birthplace of Japan's wine industry. The winery has a strong history of innovation, becoming one of the first in the country to introduce Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) in 1990 to improve grape quality. It remains family-run today, led by winemaker Ayana Misawa, Chotaro's great-great-granddaughter, and is considered a benchmark for quality in Japanese winemaking — balancing traditional craftsmanship with progressive technique to express the unique terroir of the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCuvée Misawa Blanc is Grace's flagship single-vineyard Chardonnay, sourced from the Misawa Vineyard in the Akeno district — a cool-climate site at 700m altitude, oriented north-south so wind moves through it year-round. Of the vineyard's three Chardonnay parcels, only fruit from the sections with the best air circulation is selected, with yields strictly controlled at 40 hl\/ha or less. Grapes are hand-picked, carried in small 10kg crates to minimise damage, and harvested only once they've turned golden and reached full maturity. After a gentle whole-bunch press, the wine is fermented and matured mostly in old French oak barrels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe wine's history dates back to the 1990s, when Grace first planted a small Chardonnay plot in the hills of Katsunuma. Winemaker Shigekazu Misawa has described being struck by the richness, complexity and ageing potential of the earliest vintages (1996 and 1997) — a discovery that shaped the winery's continued commitment to the variety, now carried on through the Misawa Vineyard in Akeno. It's a genuinely tiny production: some vintages, like 2021, yielded only three barrels total, made in a growing season the winery has described as one where \"valuing the basics was paramount.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA challenging vintage that tested the vineyard's resilience. A warm winter gave way to good spring weather, with strong flowering and fruit set. But a long, sunless rainy season slowed ripening, held in check only through careful pest control and rain-shade protection. Fine weather returned after the rains, helping the grapes recover lost ground, with Koshu harvest landing on schedule. September brought further autumn rain, and Typhoon No. 14 kept the team on alert through the back half of harvest — but diligent management, including removing infected berries, meant the fruit that made it into the wine was genuinely healthy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine Front — 95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e (Gary Walsh, 25 July 2023)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\"Plenty of struck match, white peach and lime, a flicker of caraway seed, subtle caramel and spice. It's tight and kind of bony, but has some sizzled butter, hazelnut and sage richness in with zesty citrus (orange mainly) and nashi pear. The texture is flinty and firm, and the finish is savoury, nutty and long. Excellent. Distinctive.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.winefront.com.au\/grace-cuvee-misawa-chardonnay-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eRead the full review at The Wine Front\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grace Wine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45641257451589,"sku":"GRA20CMBL","price":258.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0727\/8644\/4357\/files\/grace-cuvee-misawa-blanc-web_d5362cfa-1547-48f8-b813-f8e65bb61546.png?v=1788491509","url":"https:\/\/artisanwine.com.au\/products\/grace-cuvee-misawa-blanc-2020","provider":"Artisan Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}