World-Astonishing Quality! An Interview with Takashi Yokomachi of Vinoble Vineyard

Shortly after opening its winery in 2021,its Sauvignon Blanc earned top honors in the world (Gold, 95 points) at the IWSC,catapulting Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture'sVinoble Vineyardinto the spotlight.
Since then, its wines have earned high acclaim not only domestically but also in numerous international competitions.
Recently, it also made headlines when its Sémillon Sparkling was selected as the toast wine for the Partners' Program dinner at the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023.

As a result, Mr. Yokomachi's wines can be extremely difficult to obtain depending on the timing.
Why has this new winery achieved such high acclaim and popularity in such a short period of time?
We interviewed Takashi Yokomachi, owner, viticulturist, and winemaker of Vinoble Vineyard, to find out.
A must-read for all Vinoble Vineyard wine fans!

In fact, Mr. Yokomachi is a vine nursery professional who also serves as Senior Managing Director ofLag Phase.
Lag Phase sells clean grapevines with identified clones, and many of the wine grapes in wineries across Japan originated from here.

That is why, if you ask him in his vineyard, "What is in this block?", he will respond with clones rather than varieties: "From here, it's MV6, Abel, UCD5..."
Indeed, he is a self-confessed and widely acknowledged clone enthusiast.
Pinot Noir clones—”Abel", which some of you might already know.
In fact, it was Vinoble Vineyard where Abel was originally planted in order to propagate it nationwide.
Furthermore, by propagating "NZ MS" (a type of Sauvignon Blanc clone), they brought the concept of grape clones to Sauvignon Blanc in Japan, where such awareness had previously been scarce.

In the video, an Australian Pinot Noir clone, "Mv6", described as having small, tightly packed berries that make it difficult to cultivate but giving off a wonderful aroma, is currently resting as a standalone cuvée.
We look forward to its release!

In the interview, Mr. Yokomachi stated that he strives for clean winemaking that expresses the characteristics of the grape variety.
The crucial factor in achieving this is, naturally, the "grapes."
Because wine 100% reflects the quality of its grapes, he is deeply committed to growing healthy, high-quality fruit above all else. The fact that this commitment starts right down at the clone level makes it easy to understand why he garners so much attention—not only from wine lovers, but from industry professionals as well.

Of course, producing fine wine requires many other elements, such as soil management, viticultural adaptations for Japan's rainy climate, winemaking techniques, and deep knowledge. Mr. Yokomachi thoroughly researches these elements and earnestly works to integrate them in his own way. Through these efforts, even wine drinkers familiar with fine wines from renowned regions..."Wines for special occasions"—that is no doubt the kind of wine that will continue to be crafted here.

Vinoble Vineyard's wines are crafted with immense passion and a deep commitment to detail.
Remarkably, their rivals are said to be Champagne and Burgundy.
If you love grand vins from the world's most famous wine regions, why not give them a try?
Let's see what they are capable of.

Their current annual production is about 13,000 bottles. Since they are hard to come by, if you happen to find one, be sure to get your hands on it.
Mr. Yokomachi's wines are sure to leave you amazed at the quality of Japanese wine.

https://nihonwine.jp/winerys-voice/news/vinoblevineyard-interview/

https://nihonwine.jp/winery_intro/vinoble-vineyard-and-winery/