About Grande Polaire Yoichi Pinot Noir
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Pinot Noir
- Price Range
- ¥7,000-8,000
Part of Grande Polaire's Single Vineyard series, this Pinot Noir is made from 100% grapes grown at the Hirotsu Vineyard in Yoichi, Hokkaido — a cool, low-rainfall coastal region whose climate has been compared to Germany's classic growing areas. Sapporo Breweries has bottled a vintage nearly every year since 2015 (excluding 2020), hand-harvesting the fruit and fermenting with punch-down-dominant extraction to keep tannins soft. Aging typically runs 11-13 months in barrel with a modest 10-30% new oak. The wine shows a glamorous aroma of violet and strawberry, gentle tannins, bright acidity, and a velvety, smooth finish — traits the winery describes as the signature character of Yoichi Pinot Noir. It is a distinct, standard-tier bottling separate from the winery's limited "Tomachi Selection" cuvée from the same vineyard.
Yoichi's cool, low-rainfall climate consistently delivers the violet-and-strawberry perfume and velvety tannin this bottling is known for — a reliable, vintage-after-vintage benchmark for Hokkaido Pinot Noir.
New to wine?
A friendly, fruit-forward introduction to Japanese Pinot Noir — soft tannins and violet-strawberry aromatics make it easy to enjoy without needing decanting.
Food Pairings
The winery's own pairing suggestions have varied slightly by vintage but center on richer, umami-driven dishes: roast duck, shabu-shabu, and Chinese-style braised chicken wings (guifei chicken) for earlier vintages, and grilled herring, sushi, and prosciutto for more recent ones. The soft tannins and bright acidity also work well with seared tuna and tomato-based dishes.
When to drink it
Suited to a relaxed dinner featuring roast duck, shabu-shabu, or sushi — a good choice when introducing guests to cool-climate Japanese Pinot Noir.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Pinot Noir from the single Hirotsu Vineyard in Yoichi, Hokkaido. Hand-harvested; vinified with punch-down (pigeage)-dominant cap management and only occasional, non-oxidative pump-overs (remontage) to avoid harsh tannin extraction. Aged roughly 11-13 months in oak with 10-30% new barrels (the limited Tomachi Selection uses up to 60% new oak). Medium-bodied; recommended serving temperature 16-18°C; bottled at 750ml.
About the producer
Grande Polaire Katsunuma WinerySapporo's premium Japanese-grape winery in Koshu's birthplace, Katsunuma — closed 2025, production moved to Okayama.Founded 1976Visit the producer page →More wines from Grande Polaire Katsunuma Winery
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Where do the grapes for this wine come from?
- All the Pinot Noir grapes come from a single contracted vineyard, the Hirotsu Vineyard, in Yoichi, Hokkaido — a coastal, cool-climate area often compared to Germany's classic wine regions.
- What does it taste like?
- Expect a glamorous aroma of violet and strawberry, soft tannins, bright acidity, and a smooth, velvety finish — hallmarks the winery attributes to Yoichi's terroir.
- How is it different from the Tomachi Selection bottling?
- Both come from the same Hirotsu Vineyard, but this is the winery's standard single-vineyard Yoichi Pinot Noir, while the Tomachi Selection is a much more limited, higher-new-oak cuvée made only in select vintages.
- What food pairs well with it?
- The winery has paired it with roast duck, shabu-shabu, and Chinese-style braised chicken wings, as well as grilled herring, sushi, and prosciutto in more recent vintages.
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