About this wine
Goichi Shiojiri Merlot is Hayashi Farm's standard-tier red wine, made from 100% Merlot grapes grown across the Shiojiri area of Nagano Prefecture, combining fruit from the winery's own vineyards with grapes from local contract growers. As the everyday counterpart to the winery's flagship Estate Goichi Merlot, it is aged in French oak barrels, which round out the wine's fruit character. It shows a bright ruby color with aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, gentle tannins, and a medium body — an approachable, food-friendly style rather than the firm, concentrated structure of the estate bottling.
One of the most approachable ways to try Japanese Merlot — soft tannins, medium body, and a gentle price make it an easy first bottle before moving up to Hayashi Farm's more structured estate wines.
Sommelier's Note
"This is the wine that proves Japanese Merlot doesn't have to be expensive to be genuine — a true taste of Kikyogahara terroir at a daily-drinking price."
Food Pairings
A versatile everyday red that pairs well with hamburg steak, yakiniku, and simmered root vegetable dishes. Its gentle tannins and soft acidity also make it a comfortable match for many Japanese home-cooking staples.
When to drink it
Casual weeknight dinners, everyday meals with grilled or simmered dishes, and gifting as an accessible taste of Japan's Merlot heartland.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Price Range
- ¥1,600-1,900
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Merlot sourced from Hayashi Farm's own vineyards and contract growers across the Shiojiri area, Nagano. Aged in French oak barrels. ABV approximately 12%. Released as a new vintage each year (e.g. the 2024 vintage is the current release); recommended serving temperature around 16-18°C.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Goichi Shiojiri Merlot taste like?
- It has a bright ruby color with delicate aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, softened tannins, and a rounded, medium-bodied palate shaped by French oak aging.
- What food pairs best with this wine?
- Its gentle tannins and soft acidity make it a great match for hamburg steak, yakiniku, and simmered root vegetable dishes, as well as many Japanese home-cooked meals.
- How is it different from Hayashi Farm's Estate Goichi Merlot?
- Shiojiri Merlot is the winery's standard-tier bottling, blending estate and contract-grower fruit from across Shiojiri, while Estate Goichi Merlot is a 100% estate-grown, longer-aged, fuller-bodied flagship wine at a higher price point.
- Is this a good wine for beginners?
- Yes — its soft tannins, medium body, and accessible price make it one of the easiest ways to try Japan's celebrated Kikyogahara Merlot style for the first time.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
エステートゴイチ メルロ
Estate Goichi Merlot
RedMerlot
Estate Goichi Merlot is Hayashi Farm's flagship 100% estate-grown Merlot, sourced exclusively from the winery's own vineyards in the Kikyogahara plateau and the newer Kakizawa site (planted 2011, 820m elevation) in Shiojiri, Nagano. The wine is aged for roughly 16-18 months in French oak barrels, giving it aromas of cassis, blackcurrant, and blackberry layered with vanilla and savory, tarry, gravelly notes from the oak and bottle maturation. It shows a firm tannic structure and full body typical of Kikyogahara Merlot, Japan's most historically significant Merlot terroir. Select vintages (e.g. the 2016 Kakizawa bottling) have scored 90-92 points from international critics and are noted for their ability to evolve further with cellar aging.
エステートゴイチ シャルドネ
Estate Goichi Chardonnay
WhiteChardonnay
Estate Goichi Chardonnay is a 100% Chardonnay white wine made exclusively from grapes grown on Hayashi Farm's own vineyards in the Kikyogahara appellation of Shiojiri, Nagano - including the Kakizawa estate plot opened in 2011 at roughly 800 meters elevation, about 100 meters higher and 1°C cooler than the winery's main vineyards. The wine is aged in French oak barrels, producing vanilla and toasty aromas that layer over the variety's citrus and tropical fruit character. It is a dry, full-bodied white with firm, well-integrated acidity, part of Goichi Wine's 'Estate' series alongside Estate Goichi Merlot.