Previously, we've explored a wave of Japanese winemakers in their home tuft - looking at the who's who of Japanese orange wines. Some winemakers sought to bring traditional wine making techniques from more established wine makers abroad, from using kveris hailing from Georgia ; and others forged their own path on what wine meant to them - ever heard of "nigori" and "orange wine" in the same sentence?

 

Now, we take a look at the other side of coin, seeing where Japanese winemakers have taken the craft beyond their birthplace. In both the Old and New world, Japanese winemakers have started to make a name for themselves, challenging the status quo with wines that could stand toe to against age-old chateaus. This time, we turn our eyes all the way down south in cool Central Otago. 

 

Sato Wines. Source: Wine Sentience

 

Enter Sato Wines, where Japanese winemakers Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato, are making waves at the heart of Central Otago. With their first vintage in 2009 producing only 120 cases of Pinot Noir, Sato Wines now produces close to 1,900 cases when Yoshiaki and Kyoko went full steam into the project in 2019. Whilst relatively nascent in the Central Otago arena, what got wine lovers really raving is how affordable (at least, during the time of writing) Sato Wines are for their quality in their natural wines - making it almost an insider's wine! 

 

Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato. Source: A Food World

 

Yoshiaki and Kyoko met each other in 1998, both working in the banking industry in Japan and London. All this while, Yoshiaki was passionate about wine, and felt that he wanted to explore winemaking. Opportunities presented themselves in 2001, when the couple had to move to London for their banking job - it was there that they became more exposed to winemaking in Europe. After 12 years they decided to pursue their dreams of making good wine, where the duo toured around Europe and worked in several A-lister vineyards and winemakers: Yoshiaki with Bernhard Huber (Baden, Germany), Tom Lubbe and Sam Harrop MW (Domaine Matassa, Roussillon), Jean-Yves Bizot (Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy), Jean-Pierre Frick (Alsace); and Kyoko with natural wine producers in France such as Phillip Pacalet, Julien Guillot and Christian Binner. 

 

Felton Road Wines. 

 

It's in 2006 when they made the key decision to move to Central Otago, with the goal of making great Pinot Noir wines and ageworthy crisp whites - necessiating a move to a cold climate. Both completed a Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University in Christchurch, and despite having worked with many acclaimed winemakers in Europe, the Satos didn't exactly hit the ground running - instead, they worked with more Central Otago winemakers whilst the Sato Wines project was brewing. Both Yoshiaki and Kyoko went to work with winemaker Blair Walter of Felton Road - where in 2002 has made the transition to do natural and biodynamic wines. In 2009, Yoshiaki went to work with Duncan Forsyth, who owns Mount Edward Winery as the winemaker - another Central Otago outfit that enshrines organic, low intervention winemaking practices. 

 

Harvesting grapes. Source: The Drinks Business

 

Remember, all this while, both Yoshiaki and Kyoko were still working on Sato Wines! Whilst working in Mount Edward Winery, Yoshiaki rented space to produce his first few batches of Sato Wines (remember that 2009 vintage?). It's in 2012 where Yoshiaki resigned from Mount Edward to fully focus on expanding Sato Wines - renting space in Rockburn Winery. In 2016, Yoshiaki and Kyoko build and opened their currently four-hectare vineyard in Pisa, celebrating their first vineyard harvest in 2019 (Kyoko worked at Felton Road till 2018). 

 

An overall map of Central Otago. The Pisa sub-region sits within the Cromwell Basin. Source: Around The World in 80 Harvests

 

Sato Wines are situated within the Pisa sub-region of the Cromwell Basin, where 85% of Central Otago's wines are made. Pinot Noir has became synonymous with the region - accounting for over 70% of the region's varietal makeup. Other grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling are also key varietals in this region. 

 

La Ferme De Sato, with the Pisa Range at the back. Source: Wineology 

 

The couple managed Sato Wines pretty much all by themselves - deliberately limiting the size of their vineyards to a scale where they can both manage. The vineyards are spread across a few altitudes - from 295 up to 345 meter. This meant that Yoshiaki and Kyoko would hand-harvest their grapes, engaging in bio-dynamic and organic practices, all ensuring that as little intervention is done to the grapes and to the soil.

 

Schist rocks, which are seen in the Douro Valley of Portugal, Central Otago, and Priorat in Spain. Source: Wine Enthusiast

 

Yoshiaki notes that the vineyards have a wide variety of soil makeup, with the lower altitudes having more fertile soil and the higher altitude vineyards featuring more schist rocks. It's these schist rocks that Yoshiaki believes give character to his vineyards - compared to more alluvial soils that is more characteristic of the region. Also, the location where the vineyards are at had no history of chemical use, being a sheep pasture before - further cementing Sato Wine's creed of being a natural wine maker. 

 

Grapes harvested by Yoshiaki. Source: The Drinks Business

 

For Sato Wines, the key is preserving the acidity and freshness of the grapes - even with extended ripening. At the world's southernmost winemaking region, Sato Wines' vineyards are situated on an east-facing slope, receiving much of the morning sun, which then receives less intense afternoon sun. Yoshiaki notes that this is great for Pinot Noir, where the morning sun and low afternoon heat allows for better vine management and longer ripening periods, giving the Pinot Noir more balance. Pinot Noir makes the bulk of Sato Wine's vineyards, with plantings of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay and Cabernet Franc in decreasing volume. About 60% of the wine grapes come from their own vineyards, with the rest of the grapes, such as Riesling, being sourced from negociants and other vineyards which also practice natural and biodynamic winemaking. To that end, Sato Wines also received their NZ Biogro certification - which also means that Sato Wines uses minimal or no sulfur dioxide in their winemaking! 

 

The fog layer at La Ferme de Sato. Source: Everyday Wine

 

Within the Sato Wines portfolio, the "La Ferme de Sato" saw its first release in 2019, featuring grapes harvested from Sato's vineyards. Special names are given to certain parcels within the six "blocks" of vineyards, such as "Sur Les Nuages", translating to "above the clouds" where the vineyards would sit at a higher altitude and be above the fog layer that naturally forms in the basin. "Schisteux" refers specifically to Block 2 of the vineyards, where more schist rocks are present, typically featuring Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. 

 

Just a few weeks prior to this article, James Suckling posted about Sato Wines on his Instagram!

 

2019 was also the pivotal year for Sato Wines - the 2019 vintage of ‘L’Insolite’ Pinot Noir was declared by James Suckling in 2022 to be the fourth best wine from New Zealand, and quite recently, the La Ferme de Sato Les Blanches Chardonnay 2023 made it into this year's top 10 out of 100 best New Zealand wine; proving that Yoshiaki and Kyoko's philosophy of minimal intervention, organic farming wines were capable of producing great wines. 

 

 

Recently, we've had the chance to try some of Sato Wine's flagships, brought in over by Artisan Cellars in Singapore. 

 

Sato Riesling (2022)

 

This wine is made from grapes from the Domain Road Vineyards and the Bannockburn vineyards. Sato Wines noted that the soil of the vineyards here are more clayey and loamy, with this wine being the April 2022 harvest. The wine was matured for 9 months in a stainless steel tank and old French oak barrels. 

Nose: Big, powerful ripe peach aromas - supported by cantaloupe and nectarines. The wine is slightly floral as well, giving jasmine blossoms and chamomile - the white and yellow field flowers. A lemony aroma rises above the floral and stone fruit after letting the wine sit for a short while, giving the nosing a bright and light profile.

Palate:  A balance of fruit and tartness with a medium body. Initially, lots of lemon, lemon peel and gooseberry arise on the palate, followed by white peach and underripe cantaloupe. There is a slight greenness on the palate, reminiscent of chopped fresh dill.

Finish: The finish is somewhat green - giving fresh rocket and dill alongside a citrus tang of key limes and lemon. There is a hint of white pepper longer into the finish, that lingers shortly before tapering off. 

My Thoughts

 

 

 

A midway between the fresh, bright and tart rieslings and the rich, opulent and full bodied ones - this wine is the affable middle groudn with lots of fruit, aroma and acidity. Whilst the nose reads heavy on the stone fruits, the palate is bright and cheery. This makes a great everyday white wine, versatile and capable of pairing with the early to mid-course meals. 

Sato l’Atypique Pinot Gris (2023)

 

"L'atypique" translates to atypical in French - whilst there is no real confirmation, it seems that the "L'atypique" range refers to orange wines within the Sato Wines lineup. The grapes for this wine come from the Red Shed Vineyard and the Defiance Vineyard, which faetures alluvial, sandy and loamy soils as well as schist gravels over silt loam. The harvest was during March of 2023, where the wine underwent natural yeast fermentation with skin contact for slightly over a month. Maturation was done for 14 months in French oak barrels. 

Nose: Fresh, juicy with lots of fleshy fruit pulp - pink pomelo, pomegranate, alongside cantaloupe and musk melon. There is a slight cucumber element on the nose as well, reminiscent of watermelon rind and juice, with finger lime aromas coming through on subsequent nosings.

Palate: Mildly tart with medium tannins - the palate reads of tart pink pomelo, watermelon rind, underripe peach, peach fuzz and nectarines. A bit of green flavours are present as well, like sliced fennel and celery stalk.

Finish: The finish is very subtle, with minerality akin to mineral water and wet stones, and a slight saline character. A slight candied orange peel flavour arises late into the finish, tapering off afterward.

My Thoughts

 

 

What a unique rendition of Pinot Gris! You'll expect lots of acidity - yet here, it's tart, juicy, slightly astringent - almost like tasting a fruit punch made out of tropical and citrus fruits, minus the overt sweetness. There's lots of tropical notes and juiciness that renders out cleanly, really reminding me of pink pomelo in particular. For the fact that this wine dials its acidity down to the bare minimum and allowing the fleshy fruits to shine more makes this truly unique, whilst being an easy drinker.

Sato La Ferme de Sato "Schisteux" (2021)

 

We enter the first of the "La Ferme De Sato" of this tasting - using grapes harvested by the Sato Wines vineyards in Pisa. The soil here uniquely contains lots of schist and quartz gravel, with the planting for this bottling being Chenin Blanc that was harvested in April 2021. The grapes are soaked and pressed overnight with a basket press (some sources point to it being a hand worked one that Sato Wines uses), which is then fermented with natural yeast in oak barrels, before being matured for 14 months in French oak. 

Nose: Peach, nectarine and lemon are at the forefront of the nosing - followed by mandarin pulp, lime rind and a slight musk melon. There are hints of Cavendish banana in the aroma as well - a subtle, fleshy and starchy core that mingles within the citrus forward profile of the wine. 

Palate: Big, sweet and fruit - lots of cantaloupe, musk melon and ripened white peaches on the palate. Some preserved lemon rind and finger lime pulp lingers at the back of the wine, contrasting against the strong, more intense fruity flavours.

Finish: The musk melon lingers on the palate in the finish, with pops of fresh herbs on occasion - fresh dill, sweet basil and shiso leaf.

My Thoughts

 

 

This wine is quite intense, full bodied and leans towards the the muskier, sweeter side of Chenin Blanc wines. Whilst the nose gives the impression of a light, citrus-y wine, the palate is a lot fuller, riper with lots of tropical fruit flavours. It has lots of intensity and full fruit flavours, which makes this wine great for an alternative to dessert or a pre-dessert wine.

Sato La Ferme de Sato "Le Chant du Vent" Chardonnay (2021) 

 

 

For this La Ferme De Sato bottling, "Le Chant du Vent" translates to "song of the wind", referring to the noise the wind makes when blowing through the vineyards. This wine hails again from the vineyards by Sato Wines, featuring Chardonnay that was harvested late March of 2021. Similarly, the grapes were soaked and pressed overnight with a basket press, followed by natural yeast fermentation in old oak barrels, followed by 14 months of maturation in French oak. 

 

Nose: Somewhat creamy on the nose - fresh cream, softened butter, alongside aromas of lemon rind, nectarines and white peach. A hint of nutmeg fruit and spice accentuates the fruity aromas of the wine. On subsequent nosings, a tart, sharper aromas of gooseberry arises. 

Palate: Bold, with lots of ripened peach flavours. More ripened stone fruit flavours of nectarines arise, followed by floral notes of jasmine and fresh chrysanthemum. A slight honeyed character lingers as well, which is then taken over by white peach, musk melon and ripe gooseberry. 

Finish: Musk melon lingers long into the finish, with mild spice of nutmeg and white pepper arising midway. Textually, there is a creaminess to the finish, reminiscent of bechamel sauce.

My Thoughts

 

 

The most intense of the white wines! This wine is big and generous with its fruit forward aromas and flavours, feeling very ripe and juicy - just at the border of being too cloying. That is not to say this wine is just purely fruit - there's traces of spice and lactic characteristics from the barrel aging that tampers the overtly fruity profile of the wine every so slightly, adding that much needed complexity. I think this wine would make a perfect meal closer, or even as a dessert!

 

Sato La Ferme de Sato "Sur Les Nuages" Pinot Noir (2021) 

 

 

Moving on to the reds! This La Ferme De Sato carries the "Sur Les Nuages" name, which indicates the grapes probably came from vineyards at higher altitudes. The grape featured here is the Pinot Noir that's so ubiquitous to Central Otago - hravested late March of 2022. Natural yeast fermentation took place, with 14% fermented in whole bunches, for about a month with skin contact. The wine is matured for 19 months in French oak, with 10% being new oak. 

Nose: Inky, tart and lots of red fruit skins like red cherry, plums and redcurrants. There is some oaky elements on the aroma as well, giving baking spices, vanilla and a slight woodiness. 

Palate: Juicy with relatively light tannins, less that what the nosing would have suggested. Lots of red fruits show here, red cherry, plums, redcurrants, alongside darker fruits of black plums and hints of dried mulberry. A slight green element to the wine akin to mulberry leaves lingers at the back.

Finish: Clean, with a medium finish of mostly red cherry and red plums. Fruitier flavours of strawberry arise as well, taken over by liqourice and sweet tea before tapering off.

My Thoughts

 

As classic as Otago Pinot Noirs go - but knocking it out of the park! The traces of the terroir and characteristics of Otago Pinot Noir can all be found here, yet the intensity of the fruit flavours, aromas and juiciness makes this a cut above the rest, with just enough spice to round off and add a dimension of complexity to this wine. Elegant, moderately intense, and definitely a crowd pleaser wine that's versatile for most meals.

 

Sato La Ferme de Sato "Sous Bois" Cabernet Franc (2021) 

 

 

And the final entry in this tasting is the La Ferme De Sato "Sous Bois", translating to "undergrowth'. Cabernet Franc is an uncommon planting in Central Otago, and in the Sato Pisa vineyard, this particular bottling's grapes were harvested late April of 2021. The grapes underwent natural yeast fermentation for 26 days with skin contact, before being aged for 17 months in French oak barrels. To note - Cabernet Franc only makes up a tiny 0.3 hectares within the vineyards ran by Yoshiaki and Kyoko! 

Nose: Inky and deep in the nose - lots of black tea, tea stalks, mulberry leaf and forest canopy. Deep black fruit flavours arise after the initial leafy aromas, giving black plums, black cherries and black mulberry, as well as hints of liqourice.

Palate: Deep, raisin like with medicinal sweet herbs showing - intriguingly giving Pei Pa Koa syrup, dried kumquat, liqourice root and very subtle eucalyptus. After the initial sip, more black fruit characters show, with lots of juicy black cherry, black ripened plum and blackberry accompanied with tart acidity. The tannin structure isn't overbearing, but grows with strength with each sip.

Finish:  Slightly medicinal at first with black tea stalks, followed by thick skinned dark cherry. An accent of sarsaparilla and liqourice arises on the palate, enhancing a perceived sweetness in the finish. 

My Thoughts 

 

 

This wine really showcases what Cabernet Franc is all about - inky, dark, broody, with lots of generous black fruit flavours that seduces the palate. Here, there's a great balance of fruitiness, herbacousness and spice, with many supporting element that lets the Cabernet Franc's dark fruit flavours and inky personality shine. I appreciate how the wine does not go too intense, giving great balance and tension amongst its elements that doesn't make the wine cloying in any way. Solid showing!

 

@vernoncelli