Le Bois d’Azure Mon Petit Rouge 2024

Le Bois d’Azur is a small Japanese winery situated among its own vineyards in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, near the foot of Mount Tsukuba. The estate specialises in wines made from locally grown grapes, with an emphasis on spontaneous fermentation and minimal additions. Mon Petit Rouge 2024 is produced entirely from Kyoho, a large, deeply coloured Japanese table grape with a distinctive aromatic character. The 2024 growing season was particularly challenging, with persistent spring rainfall, summer heat and outbreaks of fungal disease requiring extensive fruit selection at harvest. Picked in early September, the grapes were completely destemmed and fermented with their skins for three weeks using indigenous yeasts, before spending ten months in seasoned oak barrels of various sizes. Bottled without fining, filtration or added sulphur, the wine has expressive aromas of raspberry, acerola cherry and ume-shiso, the distinctive combination of Japanese plum and perilla leaf. The palate is juicy and intensely fruity, with lively acidity, a savoury umami character reminiscent of dashi and a delicate bitterness on the finish.