Lisztomania

Think less, but see it grow

Like a riot, like a riot, oh

Not easily offended

Not hard to let it go

From a mess to the masses

The first time I had listened to a Phoenix song I was 17, and it was in fact their hit song Lisztomania from the album Wolfgang Amadeus, which was originally thought by the French Parisian band to be a career-killer given its experimental new wave indie pop rock neither-here-nor-there sound but ended up propelling them to international fame - they ended up taking home a Grammy for it even! I remember thinking and feeling at the time that the song's often upbeat but lackadaisical quality - the lyrics never really mean anything in particular, and are often loosely based on a theme - and alternative sound (that sort of woo-wee-wahhhh) somehow felt so fitting for the early 2010's. It always gave me this sense of going someplace, that tinge of anticipation met with unsureness, like the future was as undefined as it was hopeful - although the lyrics tend to indicate otherwise - and it seemed perfect for the phase of life I was at, as I was about to enter my college years. It perfected capturing the essence of life on the cusp of starting. And then life started!

Phoenix the band, with their Tatenokawa Sake.

It was the soundtrack of my late teenage years, and till this day when I find myself in a particularly nostalgic mood, which often happens enroute to somewhere, I'll put on 1901 or Long Distance Call (also from the Phoenix album Wolfgang Amadeus). Fun fact, Phoenix's lead singer, Thomas Mars, also happens to be married to the cult film director Sofia Coppola, whose works happen to also be a favourite of mine, and funnily enough, have also always evoked the same sense that I got from Phoenix's songs. "My girlfriend [now wife] has many awards so I need one for myself on the shelf, so I think I'm just going to put it next to hers," once said Thomas Mars, when talking about how for a decade Phoenix was only popular in France, where they were from, and that mainstream success for them was a very slow and gradual journey that they never really much cared for either.

Now imagine my surprise to find out that hit Yamagata Sake brewery Tatenokawa had collaborated with the French alternative pop band Phoenix on a Sake!

Tatenokawa Brewery, which even produces its own rice.

Tatenokawa is of course the cult Sake brewery, established in 1832 and today led by 6th-generation Jumpei Sato. As the story goes, a feudal lord had visited the site where the brewery would eventually be established, and took notice of the extraordinary water sources, and had thus recommended it to the the first-generation founder of Tatenokawa brewery. The brewery, set against the Tateyama mountain ranges, which was once dotted with numerous castles along its ridge, therefore takes its name from its translation as "Castle Brook". Tatenokawa was an early mover towards absolute quality and since 2010 had declared its decision to only produce the highest tier Junmai Daiginjo, signalling their focus on producing but the best Sake, and in 2018 made massive headlines (and stirred up the Sake community) when it debuted the Tatenokawa Komyo, which touted a rice polishing ratio of 1%, which essentially put a capstone on the rice polishing wars! That said, Tatenokawa is certainly no trend chaser, and has in fact worked extensively with research centers to help cultivate heritage rice varietals, helping to preserve and uphold Sake history and tradition.

Which takes us to today's Sake - the Tatenokawa Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo!

Toshiro Kuroda, who made great strides in introducing Sake to Paris.

The Tatenokawa Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo is made with Yamagata's own Dewasansan rice that's been polished down to 50%, but more importantly, you'll see on the label the text "In Memory of Toshiro Kuroda", who is in fact the man who introduced Phoenix band member Christian Mazzalai to the Tatenokawa brewery.

Kuroda-san was a beloved figure in Paris who had sought to spread the love for Japanese culture, namely its food ingredients and Sake, having lived in France for more than four decades, through his retail shop and restaurant, Workshop Isse. He is often credited for having introduced many high profiled French actors and figures to Sake, and would even create the Sake club, Les Becs Fins du Sake, together with Michelin starred chef Eric Briffard and famed sommelier Olivier Poussier. Unfortunately Kuroda-san would pass away in 2017, and thus in honour of his work, Phoenix and Tatenokawa thus decided to pay tribute with their collaborative Sake project.

Let's give it a taste!

PS. We got to try this at the Life & Liquor booth at the one and only Sake Matsuri festival which happens twice each year in Singapore, and is a great event for anyone looking to have a great time and enjoy over 500 Sakes from numerous breweries and distributors. Whether you're just getting into Sake or an expert, this is the place to be! And more than that, the festival also brings together whiskies, wines, Shochu and umeshu, along with a selection of great food too! Definitely keep a look out for it!

Sake Review: Tatenokawa Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo | 楯野川 PHOENIX 純米大吟醸 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: It opens clean, with heady aromas of juicy melons, really fresh and precise, with then a gentler, and also deeper richness of yogurt creaminess. It's accented by a nuttiness of rice grains, with also bouquets of white florals. It's got this elevated quality, really compact and concentrated, yet at the same time crisp around the outlines.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's lusciously richer and rounder, with immediate honey that combines with a savouriness. More lactic yogurt backs it up, with then also a compounded tone of grilled melons.

Finish: That honeyed savouriness of teriyaki sauce carries through, dotted with melon nectar and yogurt, with the savouriness lingering on the finish.

My Thoughts

A really impressive Sake that is so polished and refined, with concentrated aromas and flavours that are also delivered with precision and boldness. There's a great contrast between that clean and elevated, minimalist and stylish aromatic texture, versus the plush, lusciousness and richness of the body, which makes for such an experience. It's well balanced and demonstrates such a curation of the flavours that are composed perfectly, whilst all at the same time incredibly easy to get into. It's straightforwardly tasty, yet you can't help but contemplate its elegance and finesse. 

Kanpai!

@111hotpot