About this wine
Ajimu Chardonnay Reserve is the flagship barrel-fermented white from Ajimu Winery in Oita Prefecture, made from 100% fully ripened Chardonnay grown in the fog-cooled Ajimu basin. The wine is fermented and aged entirely in new oak barrels, giving it a concentrated, complex character with aromas of citrus, rose, caramel, and butter. The 2023 vintage won the Grand Gold Award (グランドゴールド賞), the top honor at the Japan Wine Competition 2024, cementing its status as one of Ajimu's most decorated cuvées.
A great introduction to premium Japanese Chardonnay — richly barrel-toned yet balanced, and easy to enjoy even for first-time drinkers of Japanese wine.
Sommelier's Note
"Winner of the Grand Gold Award at the Japan Wine Competition, this is Ajimu Winery's benchmark barrel-fermented Chardonnay — a serious, age-worthy Japanese white that deserves a place on any curious wine lover's table."
Food Pairings
Pairs beautifully with grilled white fish, cream-based pasta, roasted chicken, and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
When to drink it
Special celebrations, formal dinners, or as a gift for wine enthusiasts.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Style
- White
- Price Range
- $28-35
Terroir & Winemaking
Made from 100% fully ripened Chardonnay from the Ajimu basin. Fermented and aged entirely in new oak barrels, producing concentrated fruit character and a creamy, complex texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Ajimu Chardonnay Reserve taste like?
- It has a complex bouquet of citrus, rose, caramel, and butter, with concentrated fruit and a creamy texture from full fermentation and aging in new oak barrels.
- What food pairs best with this wine?
- Grilled white fish, cream-based pasta, roasted chicken, and soft cheeses. In Japanese cuisine, it works especially well with salt-grilled sea bream and tempura.
- Has this wine won any awards?
- Yes — the 2023 vintage won the Grand Gold Award, the top prize at the Japan Wine Competition 2024.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
安心院ワイン 樽熟成マスカット・ベーリーA
Ajimu Barrel-Aged Muscat Bailey A
RedMuscat Bailey A
A flagship dry red from Ajimu Winery in Oita Prefecture, made from 100% Muscat Bailey A grown in the Ajimu basin. Selected grapes are destemmed, crushed, and partially bled off (saignée) to concentrate skin contact before fermentation, then aged in oak barrels for about a year. The result integrates the variety's signature strawberry and candy-like fruit with vanilla, spice, and toasted oak notes, giving the wine a silky texture and a more serious, structured profile than most Muscat Bailey A on the market. Earlier vintages have won awards including a bronze at the Japan Wine Challenge and a silver at the Japan Wine Competition.
安心院ワイン メルロー
Ajimu Merlot
RedMerlot
Ajimu Merlot is a dry red wine from Ajimu Winery (Sanwa Shurui) in Usa, Oita Prefecture, made from 100% Ajimu-grown Merlot. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged roughly one year in oak barrels followed by further bottle aging, it shows a glossy, pale garnet color with layered aromas of raspberry and blackcurrant, rose and herbal florals, and gentle spice. At about 12.2% ABV, the palate is light-to-medium bodied with soft, well-integrated tannins and clean acidity, making it an approachable everyday red rather than the winery's flagship bottling.
安心院ワイン アルバリーニョ
Ajimu Albariño
WhiteAlbariño
Ajimu Albariño is Ajimu Winery's pioneering bottling of Albariño, a Spanish grape the winery began trial-planting around 2011 at its own Oka Farm estate vineyard in the fog-laden Ajimu basin, whose warm days and sharp diurnal temperature swings suit the variety well. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at low temperature for about two to three weeks, often using two different yeast strains, to preserve fresh varietal aromatics without oxidation. The result is a dry, aromatic white with white peach, citrus and floral (honeysuckle-like) notes, a touch of grapefruit bitterness, and a saline, mineral-tinged finish reminiscent of Albariño's Spanish homeland. The 2021 vintage won a gold medal at the Japan Wine Competition 2022 — the first gold ever awarded to an Albariño in that competition's history — cementing Ajimu as a pioneer of the variety in Japan. Building on this success, the winery has since expanded into single-vineyard Albariño bottlings from its Shimoge, Yazu and Omio plots, plus a premium late-harvest-style 'Gokka' selection, but this base cuvée remains the entry point to Ajimu's Albariño program.