ACCA Anima Nebbiolo & Lambrusco

ACCA Anima Nebbiolo & Lambrusco is part of Cantina Hiro's flagship ACCA series — ACCA being the Italian pronunciation of the winery's initial 'H', the line through which this boutique Yamanashi producer channels its focus on Italian grape varieties. Grown and co-fermented in the Makioka hills of Yamanashi City (elevation 750-1,000m), Anima is an unusual blend of Nebbiolo, the noble red grape of Piedmont, and Lambrusco, more commonly associated with Emilia-Romagna — a rare pairing for any producer to attempt, let alone in Japan. The wine is released as a vintage-dated red (2021 and 2023 vintages have been confirmed, both 750ml bottlings), with style varying by year: the 2021 shows a pale, slightly garnet-tinged ruby colour and a light body, with aromas of red plum, red cherry and raspberry layered with barrel-derived cinnamon and clove, soft smooth tannins and bright acidity; the 2023 leans into riper berry fruit — strawberry, raspberry, wild berry and red cherry — with Nebbiolo's characteristic gum-gripping tannic grip, high acidity and a medium body. The exact blend ratio is not disclosed by the producer. Winemaking follows Cantina Hiro's natural, low-intervention approach with no added sugar or acid; the 2021 vintage is documented as destemmed and crushed grapes (harvested 11 November 2021 at 23.4 Brix) undergoing a 6-day cold soak, inoculation with F83 yeast, a 7-day maceration before pressing, malolactic fermentation induced late in the process, 23 days of stainless-steel tank fermentation, roughly 20 months' ageing in French oak barrique, and a final 0.5-micron depth filtration before bottling.