Grace Gris de Koshu 2025

Clear and faultless in the glass. Fresh, with an abundance of fruity aromatics — white peach, pear, orange and orange peel — layered with floral notes of sandalwood and jasmine, and a spicy lift of white pepper and clove. The palate is smooth and round, with refreshing acidity and a distinct umami character.

2025 vintage notes: A dry winter allowed dormant-season vineyard work to proceed smoothly, with slightly cooler temperatures pushing budburst a few days later than the previous year. Warmer, drier conditions from May onward favoured flowering and fruit set, while a drier-than-usual rainy season kept disease pressure low and vines healthy. Persistently high summer temperatures from June accelerated ripening, with harvest opening in late August for sparkling-base Chardonnay. As sunshine hours declined through October, later-ripening varieties matured more slowly, with the Koshu harvest concluding as usual in the second week of November. Despite a warm season overall, reduced sunshine late in harvest worked in the wine's favour — the result is a Koshu with delicate aromatics and a harmonious balance of acidity and tannin, true to Yamanashi's cool-climate character.

About Koshu: Koshu is a white grape variety indigenous to Japan, part of the Vitis vinifera species behind wine grapes worldwide. How it made its way to Japan from its origins in the South Caucasus remains a mystery, but for well over a thousand years it's never fallen out of favour — and it's especially treasured by winemakers native to Yamanashi. In 2010, Koshu became the first Japan-indigenous grape variety registered with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.), allowing it to appear as a varietal name on wine labels.

Katsunuma & Yamanashi: Japan's wine industry began in the early Meiji period (1868–1912) in Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture — a region ringed by Mount Fuji, the Southern Alps and the Chichibu range, with a continental climate of four distinct seasons and wide temperature swings. Plentiful sunshine and well-drained soils have made it ideal for viticulture since ancient times, with the hilly Toriihira and Hishiyama districts known for producing grapes of particular concentration and flavour. Yamanashi's mountain-ringed Kofu Basin is the birthplace of Japanese winemaking and remains home to more wineries than anywhere else in the country. Within it, the Misawa family has been making wine since 1923, when Chotaro Misawa founded the estate in Katsunuma — now in its fifth generation, led by Ayana Misawa, and one of Yamanashi's most respected Koshu producers.

Food pairing: A natural match for sashimi and sushi, especially white fish like tai, hirame and suzuki — the wine's umami and acidity mirror and lift the clean, delicate flavours without overwhelming them. Tempura benefits from the wine's freshness cutting through the oil, with its light spice complementing the batter, while chawanmushi and other dashi-based dishes let the wine's umami play directly against the broth's. Grilled or salt-cured fish (shioyaki) find their salt balanced by the wine's acidity, with its citrus notes echoing any yuzu or ponzu garnish — the same logic extends to agedashi tofu. Oysters and shellfish are equally at home alongside it, the wine's citrus and floral lift working well against natural brininess.