Domaine Tetta, Aki Queen 2023

85% Aki Queen, 7% Muscat Bailey A, 5% Queen Nina, 3% other varieties

Okayama, Japan

A tart and fruity full-bodied sparkling wine, with aromas of pomegranate, raspberry, passion fruit, and fresh strawberry jam. The taste is dry and high in acidity, yet balanced. The finish lingers for a very long time.
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Tetta started cultivating Aki Queen grapes specifically for winemaking with the 2020 vintage. They have tried various winemaking methods to understand the unique characteristics of Aki Queen. With the 23 vintage, they changed to an approach of balancing through assemblage method. Whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel with native yeasts, no destemming or crushing. Gentle extraction and minimal intervention throughout. Aged in tank and bottled with 15 ppm SO2. VEGAN.

Domaine Tetta farms 8 hectares of vines in Niimi, Okayama. The vineyards sit at 400-600m elevation on rare calcareous soils mixed with terra rossa red clay. Founded by Ryuta Takahashi, who left the local mining industry in 2009 after discovering abandoned vineyards in his hometown, the estate practices fully integrated domaine-style production from vine to bottle. The estate started in 2016 with the explicit goal of regenerating local farmland through wine. Aki Queen is a Japanese black-grape hybrid that suits the Niimi limestone and altitude.