Dewazakura Mountain Cherry Daiginjo (720ml)

Dewazakura Shuzo was founded in 1892 by Seijiro Nakano in Tendo, Yamagata, and today the brewery is run by the fourth generation of the Nakano family. Mountain Cherry was first released in 1976, notable at the time for its label, hand-inked on traditional Japanese paper, an aesthetic choice that mirrored the delicacy of the sake inside. The brewery later pioneered cold storage techniques in 1991 to better preserve aroma and flavor through bottling, cementing its reputation as one of Yamagata's most forward-thinking producers.

Considered the more intense sibling to the brewery's famous Oka label, Mountain Cherry is brewed from Yamadanishiki rice polished down to 40 percent, placing it firmly at daiginjo level. Fermentation relies on Ogawa yeast and the traditional sokujo method, producing a wine with an acidity around 1.2 and a Sake Meter Value near +6, giving it real structure beneath its delicate exterior.

The nose offers a lush mix of plum, berry, grape, and peach layered with soft florals, while the palate turns smooth and gentle, often described as reminiscent of softly melting snow. Notes of papaya, green melon, and apricot round things out, finishing light, dry, and touched with a slate-like minerality. Try it with grilled shrimp or a fruit and cheese plate.